ALHED-H-MILES 


r 

t 


-2986- 


NATURAL  HISTORY 


WITH    ANECDOTES 

ILLUSTRATING 
THE    NATURE,    HABITS,    MANNERS    AND    CUSTOMS 

OF 

ANIMALS,  'BIRDS,  FISHES,  REPTILES,  INSECTS, 
ETC.,    ETC.,    ETC. 


ARRANGED   AND  EDITED   BY 

ALFRED   H.   MILES 

EDITOR  OF 

Tk*  Poets  and  the  Poetry  of  the  Century,"  "  1001  Anecdotes." 


NEW  YORK 
DODD,   MEAD   &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright, 
BY 
DODD,  MEAD  AND  COMPANY. 

All  rights  reserved. 


Braunworth,  Munn  &  Barber, 

Printers  and  Bookbinders, 

16  Nassau  Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  V. 


PREFACE. 


Illustrations  are  like  windows  to  the  house  of  knowledge. 
They  let  light  in  upon  the  understanding  and  they  facilitate 
the  outlook  upon  truth  and  beauty.  To  illustrate  is  to  help 
one  sense  by  the  use  of  another,  to  reason  by  analogy  and 
to  teach  the  unknown  by  the  known.  When  definition  fails, 
illustration  often  carries  conviction,  and  the  most  successful 
teachers  are  those  who  make  the  best  use  of  sound  and 
telling  illustrations.  How  many  lessons  would  have  been 
wholly  forgotten  by  us,  but  for  the  illustrations  which  made 
their  meanings  clear  and  left  their  truths  for  ever  in  our 
minds  ? 

The  book  of  nature  is  full  of  illustrations  which  help  the 
understanding  of  the  book  of  life,  and  no  illustrations  are 
more  valuable  and  fascinating,  whether  as  revelations  of  the 
order  and  habits  of  nature  herself,  or  as  parallels  and  para- 
bles, full  of  suggestive  application  to  the  social  and  moral 
life  of  humanity,  than  those  afforded  by  the  study  of  Nat- 
ural History. 

To  gather  into  a  convenient  volume  Illustrative  Anecdotes 
of  Natural  History,  which  shall  throw  light  upon  the  study 
of  Animal  Life,  for  those  pursuing  it  for  its  own  sake,  and 
help  to  the  understanding  of  Nature  herself  is  the  primary 
object  of  this  work,  while  it  is  hoped  that  it  may  serve  a 


2051928 


VI  PREFACE. 

secondary  purpose  of  no  small  utility,  in  suggesting  social 
and  moral  parallels. 

With  a  view  to  its  first  purpose  the  illustrations  are  classi- 
fied in  order  as  those  of  Mammals,  Birds,  Reptiles,  Fishes, 
etc.,  etc.,  and  as  much  knowledge  of  Natural  History  as 
can  be  conveyed  in  anecdote  form  has  been  attempted.  The 
book  will  thus,  it  is  hoped,  be  a  valuable  aid  to  the  teacher 
of  Natural  History,  as  a  manual  of  illustrations  for  his  les- 
sons, as  well  as  full  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  who 
may  not  wish  to  devote  the  time  necessary  to  more  exhaus- 
tive scientific  study. 

A.  H.  M. 


LIST    OF    COLORED    PLATES. 


ANIMALS. 

Plate    i.    Gorilla.    Ourang-Outang. 

Plate   a.    Galago.    Aye  Aye. 
Plate    3.    Lion.    Cheetah. 

Plate  4.  Aard  Vark.  Blotched  Gen- 
net. 

Plate  5.  Jaguar.    Cacomixle. 

Plate   6.  Leopard.    Lynx. 

Plate   7.  Fox  Terriers.    Puppies. 

Plate   8.  Polar  Bear.    Ermine. 

Plate   9.  Rhinoceros.    Camel. 

Plate  10.  Elephant.    Giraffe. 

Plate  ii.  Zebra.    Bison. 

Plate  12.  Beaver.    Alpine  Hare. 

Plate  13.  Tatou.    Kangaroo. 

BIRDS. 

Plate  14.  Sepoy  Finch.  Red-Headed 
Bunting.  Chinese  Bulbul.  Canary 
Bird.  Brazilian  Tanager.  Bell  Bird. 
Orchard  Oriole.  Blue  Bullfinch. 
Java  Grosbeak.  Nightingale. 


Plate  15.  Emen  Wren.  Stitch  Bird. 
Araguira.  Whistling  Thrush.  Pas- 
tor. Parrot  Finch.  Swallow  Dicae- 
cum.  Golden  Oriole.  Rosebreasted 
Grosbeak.  Painted  Bunting. 

Plate  16.  Kinglet.  Scarlet  Finch. 
Brown  Thrasher.  Mariposa.  Huia. 
Madagascar  Grosbeak.  Crested 
Sparaetes.  Mino  Bird.  Maryland 
Yellow  Throat.  Purple-breasted 
Chatterer. 

Plate  17.  Shaft-tailed  Bunting.  Lin- 
net. Piping  Crow-strike.  Pine 
Grosbeak.  Audubon's  Warbler. 
Thrush.  Amandava.  Yellow-head. 
Crested  Malimbus.  Saddle-back. 


FISHES. 

Plate  18.  Spanish  Mackerel.  Mack- 
erel. Weakfish.  Herring.  Bluefish. 
Codfish.  Crab.  Porgy.  Eel.  White- 
fish. 

Plate  19.  Butterfish.  Catfish.  Gold- 
fish. Blackfish.  Shad.  Lobster. 
Sea-robin.  Sea-bass.  Swordfish. 
Perch. 


Plate  20.  Carp.  Yellow  Perch.  Sar- 
dine. Sawfish.  Salmon.  Sunfish. 
Brook  Trout.  Blowfish.  Striped 
Bass.  Moonfish. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 

Science,  i 

The  Kingdoms  of  Nature,  i 
Zoology,  2 
Classification,  2 

Class  I. — Mammalia 
ORDER  I 
PRIMATES 
SUB-ORDER  I 
MAN-SHAPED  ANIMALS 
The  Ape  Family,  3 
The  Gorilla,  4 
Ancestors  of  the  Gorilla,  4 
A  Gorilla  Hunt,  5 
Du  Chaillu's  First  Gorilla,  7 
A  Young-  Gorilla,  9 
Gorilla  Superstitions,  10 
The  Chimpanzee,  n 
Docility  and  Sagacity  of  Chimpanzee,  n 
The  Orang-Utan,  12 
Habits  of  Orang-Utan,  12 
Walk  of  Orang-Utan,  13 
Strength  of  Orang-Utan,  14 
Docility  of  Orang-Utan,  14 
Orang-Utan's  Intelligence,  15 

"         "       Affection,  15 
The  Maternal  Instinct,  16 
Gibbons,  or  Long-Armed  Apes,  17 
Monkeys,  18 

The  Sacred  Monkeys,  18 
Long-nosed  Monkey,  19 
Cheek-pouched  Monkeys,  19 
The  Baboon,  19 
Arabian  Baboon,  20 
Baboon's  Imitative  Faculty,  20 


The  Chackma  Baboon,  21 
Baboon's  Utility,  21 
The  Tame  Baboon,  22 
Baboon's  Cunning,  22 

"        Loyalty,  24 

"        Intelligence,  24 
The  Bonnet  Monkey,  25 
Indian  Monkeys,  25 
The  Monkey  Outdone,  27 
The  Monkey  Aroused,  29 
Monkey's  Affection,  30 
American  Monkeys,  30 
The  Capuchin  Monkey,  30 
The  Spider  Monkeys,  30 
The  Howling  Monkeys,  31 
The  Bearded  Saki,  31 
The  Douroucouli,  32 
The  Marmosets,  32 

SUB-ORDER  II 
THE  LEMURS 

The  Tarsier,  33 

The  Aye-Aye,  33 

ORDER  II 

WING-HANDED  ANIMALS 
Bats,  35 

The  Common  English  Bats,  36 
The  Vampire  Bat,  36 
A  Traveller's  Experience,  37 
Megaderma  Lyra,  38 

ORDER  III 

INSECT-EATING  ANIMALS 
The  Hedgehog,  39 
The  Mole,  40 
An  Enterprising  Mole,  41 
The  Use  of  the  Mole,  41 
The  Shrew,  42 


CONTENTS 


ORDER  IV 
FLESH-EATING  ANIMALS 

SUB-ORDER  I 
THE  FISSIPEDIA 
Animals  of  the  Cat  Kind,  43 
The  Lion,  44 
Lion's  Character,  44 
Attitude  towards  Man,  45 
The  Better  Part  of  Valour,  46 
Lion's  Strength,  47 

"      Affection,  48 

"      Docility,  48 
Androcles,  49 
A  Lion  Hunt,  50 
A  Thrilling  Experience,  52 
Attacked  by  a  Lion,  53 
A  Night  Surprise,  55 
A  Lion  Outwitted,  56 
Old  Instincts  and  New  Opportunities,  56 
The  Tiger,  57 
Tigers'  Ravages,  58 
An  Intrepid  Hunter,  60 
The  Leopard,  61 
Leopard's  Tenacity  of  Life,  61 
Hunters  Hunted,  63 
The  Jaguar,  64 
Jaguar's  Strength,  65 
A  Night  of  Horror,  65 
The  Puma,  67 
Puma's  Ferocity,  67 
Animals  and  Men,  68 
The  Ocelot,  69 
The  Clouded  Tiger,  70 
The  Serval,  70 
Common  Wild  Cat,  70 
Domestic  Cat,  71 
Cat  Superstitions,  71 
Cat  as  a  Hunter,  72 
Cat  and  Her  Young,  72 
Cat  as  a  Foster  Mother,  73 
Cat  as  a  Traveller,  74 
Cat  as  a  Sportsman,  75 
Cat's  Intelligence,  75 
The  Lynx,  76 

The  Chetah  as  Huntsman,  78 
The  Civits,  79 
The  Ichneumon,  79 
Dormant  Instinct,  80 
The  Aard  Wolf,  80 
The  Hyasna,  80 
Striped  Hyaena,  82 
Spotted  Hyaena,  82 
A  Narrow  Escape,  83 
Animals  of  the  Dog  Kind,  84 
The  Wolf,  84 
The  Fox,  85 
The  Jackal,  86 
Wolf's  Mode  of  Attack,  86 


Wolf's  Cunning,  87 

"       Cowardice,  88 
Hunted  by  Wolves,  88 
A  Terrible  Alternative,  89 
A  Marvellous  Escape,  89 
Tame  Wolves,  90 
The  Cunning  of  the  Fox,  90 
The  Fox  as  a  Hunter,  91 
A  Fox  Hunt,  92 
The  Arctic  Fox,  93 
Wild  Dogs,  93 
The  Dog,  94 
Dog's  Understanding,  95 

"      Sense  of  Locality,  97 
Dog  Friendships  and  Enmities,  99 

"  Language,   100 
Dog's  Intelligence,  101 

"      Mistakes,  104 
Eskimo  Dogs,  104 
A  Hard  Lot,  106 
Newfoundland  Dog,  107 
Newfoundland's  Generosity,  108 

"  Perception     of    Dan- 

ger,  109 
Sense  of   Right    and 

Wrong,  in 
"  Fidelity,  112 

Newfoundland  under  Training,  112 
The  Sheep  Dog,  114 
Sheep  Dog's  Sagacity,  115 

"        "       Fidelity,  117 
The  St.  Bernard,  119 
St.  Bernard  at  Work,  121 
The  Greyhound,  122 
Greyhound's  Affection,  123 
The  Lurcher,  124 
The  Bloodhound,  125 
Scent  of  the  Bloodhound,  126 
The  Stag  Hound,  127 
A  Stag  Hunt,  127 
The  Fox  Hound,  128 
Fox  Hound's  Tenacity,  128 
The  Harrier,  129 
The  Beagle,  129 
The  Dalmatian  Dog,  130 
The  Turnspit,  130 
Turnspit's  Sagacity,  130 
The  Pointer,  130 
Pointer's  Intelligence,  131 
The  Setter,  132 
Pointers  and  Setters,  132 
Sagacity  of  the  Setter,  133 
The  Spaniel,  134 
Blenheim  Spaniel  and  Cats,  135 
Water  Spaniel  as  a  Witness,  135 
The  Terrier,  136 
The  Mastiff,  136 
Fidelity  of  the  Mastiff,  136 
Intelligence  of  the  Mastiff,  137 
The  Mastiff  as  Protector,  137 


CONTENTS 


IX 


The  Bull  Dog,  138 

The  Poodle,  139 

The  Shoe-black's  Poodle,  139 

Weasels,  Otters,  and  Badgers,  140 

The  Polecat,  140 

The  Weasel.  140 

Weasel  and  Kite,  141 

The  Common  Otter,  141 

The  Badger,  142 

The  Ratel  and  the  Skunk.  143 

The  Skunk,  144 

The  Raccoon  and  the  Coati,  145 

The  Bear,  145 

The  Polar  Bear,  146 

The  Black  Bear,  147 

Docility  of  the  Bear,  148 

The  Grizzly  Bear,  149 

The  Brown  Bear,  151 

Bruin  and  the  Honey,  151 

The  Malayan  Bear,  151 

SUB-ORDER  II 
THE  PINNIPEDIA 
Sea  Lions,  152 
Sea  Bears,  153 
The  Walrus,  154 
The  Common  Seal,  155 
The  Seal's  Docility,  156 

ORDER  V 

WHALES  AND  DOLPHINS 
The  Right  Whale,  158 
The  Sperm  Whale,  159 
The  Dolphin,  159 
The  White  Whale,  160 
The  Narwhal,  160 
The  Porpoise,  161 
The  Grampus,  161 

ORDER  VI 
The  Sea  Cow,  162 

ORDER  VII 
HOOFED  ANIMALS 
The  Horse,  162 
The  Arabian  Horse,  163 
Affection  for  his  Owner,  165 
The  Domestic  Horse,  166 
The  Structure  of  a  Horse,  167 
The  Horse's  Speed,  169 
The  Horse's  Endurance,  170 
The  Horse's  Memory,  171 
The  Force  of  Habit,  172 
Intelligence  of  the  Horse,  174 
Horse-Play,  176 
Horses  and  Dogs,  177 
The  Ass,  178 
Sagacity  of  the  Ass,  180 
Instinct  of  the  Ass,  181 


The  Trained  Ass,  182 

The  Mule  and  the  Hinny,  183 

The  Zebra,  183 

The  Tapir,  183 

The  Rhinoceros,  184 

Rhinoceros  Hunting,  186 

The  Tame  Rhinoceros,  187 

The  Hippopotamus,  188 

The  Haunt  of  the  Hippopotami,  189 

The  Pig  Family,  190 

The  Boar,  190 

The  Common  Hog,  191 

The  Babiroussa,   192 

The  Peccary,  192 

The  Camel  and  the  Dromedary,  192 

Strength  and  Endurance  of  the  Camel, 

193 

The  Camel  and  his  Master,  194 
Camel  Riding,  195 
A  Camel's  Revenge,  195 
The  Terrors  of  the  Desert,  196 
The  Llama,  198 
The  Deer,  198 
The  Red  Deer,  199 
A  Stag  Hunt,  200 
The  Tame  Stag,  201 
The  Reindeer,  201 
The  Moose  or  Elk,  204 
The  Fallow  Deer  and  the  Roebuck,  204 
The  Giraffe,  205 
The  History  of  the  Giraffe,  205 
Hollow-Horned  Ruminants,  206 
The  Bull,  the  Bison  and  the  Buffalo, 

207 

The  Bull,  the  Ox,  the  Cow,  207 
The  Bull,  208 
The  Brahmin  Bull,  209 
The  Ox,  209 
The  Cow,  210 
The  Pride  of  a  Cow,  210 
The  Bison,  211 
Hunting  the  Bison,  212 
The  Buffalo,  213 
Hunting  the  Indian  Buffalo,  213 
The  Cape  Buffalo,  214 
Hunting  the  Cape  Buffalo,  215 
The  Zebu,  216 
The  Yak,  216 
The  Antelopes,  216 
The  Gazelle,  217 
The  Sheep  and  the  Goat,  217 
The  Intelligence  of  the  Sheep,  218 
Animals  and  Music,  218 

ORDER  VIII 

The  Elephant,  219 
The  Wild  Elephant,  220 
Elephant  Herds,  221 
Elephant  Friendships,  223 


CONTENTS 


Sagacity  of  the  Elephant,  224 
A  Centenarian  Elephant,  224 
An  Elephant  Nurse,  225 
Intelligence  of  the  Elephant,  225 

ORDER  IX 
The  Conies,  226 

ORDER  X 

THE  RODENTS  :  ANIMALS  THAT 
GNAW 

Rats  and  Mice,  227 

The  Rat  Family,  227 

The  Hamster,  228 

Swarms  of  Rats,  228 

Invaded  by  Rats,  229 

Migrations  of  Rats,  230 

The  Intelligence  of  Rats,  231 

Saved  by  a  Rat,  231 

The  Mouse,  232 

The  Harvest  Mouse,  233 

The  Field  Mouse,  233 

The  Dormouse,  233 

The  Jerboas,  234 

The  Bea-ver,  234 

The  European  Beaver,  234 

The  American  Beaver,  235 

The  Squirrel,  237 

The  Squirrel  at  Home,  238 

Tame  Squirrels,  239 

The   Marmot,  the    Bobak,  the   Prairie 

Dog,  240 

The  Chinchilla,  240 
The  Porcupine,  ^40 
The  Guinea  Pig,  241 
Hares  and  Rabbits,  241 
The  Common  Hare,  241 
Intelligence  of  the  Hare,  242 
A  Hunted  Hare,  243 
Tame  Hares,  244 
The  Common  Rabbit,  245 

ORDER  XI 
TOOTHLESS  ANIMALS 

The  Sloth,  245 
The  Pangolin,  246 
The  Armadillo,  246 
The  Cape  Ant-Bear,  246 
The  Ant-Eater,  247 

ORDER  XII 
POUCHED  ANIMALS 

The  Opossum,  247 
The  Kangaroo,  247 
Kangaroo  Hunting,  248 


ORDER  XIII 
MONOTREMATA 
The  Duck-billed  Platypus,  249 
The  Aust»alian  Hedgehog,  249 

Class  H. — Aves 

Classification,  250 

ORDER  I 

PERCHING  BIRDS 
The  Thrushes,  251 
The  Common  Thrush,  251 
The  Missel  Thrush,  252 
The  Blackbird,  252 
The  Mocking  Bird,  254 
The  Tailor  Bird,  255 
The  Golden  Crested  Wren,  255 
The  Migration  of  Birds,  255 
The  Willow  Wren,  256 
The  Common  Wren,  256 
A  Wren's  Music  Lesson,  257 
The  House  Wren,  257 
The  Nightingale,  258 
Song  of  the  Nightingale,  258 
The  Robin  Redbreast,  259 
Intelligence  of  the  Robin,  260 
The  Titmouse,  260 
The  Golden  Oriole,  261 
The  Shrike,  262 
The  Jays,  262 
The  Blue  Jay,  263 
The  Magpie,  264 

Mischievous  Habits  of  the  Magpie,  264 
The  Raven,  266 
Unnatural  Parents,  267 
The  Tame  Raven,  268 
The  Raven  and  the  Dog,  269 
The  Rook,  270 
The  Carrion  Crow,  270 
The  Jackdaw,  271 
The  Chough,  271 
The  Bird  of  Paradise,  271 
Hunting  the  Bird  of  Paradise,  272 
The  Tanagers,  273 
The  Tanager,  273 
The  Swallow,  273 
Swallows  in  Council,  274 
The  House  Martin,  274 
The  Sand  Martin,  275 
The  Chaffinch.     The  Goldfinch.     The 

Greenfinch,  275 
The  Linnet,  276 
The  Canary,  276 
The  Tame  Canary,  277 
The  Crossbill,  277 
The  Bunting,  277 
The  Starling,  278 
The  Common  Starling,  278 


XI 


The  Weaver  Bird,  278 

The  Lark,  279 

Maternal  Instinct  of  the  Lark,  280 

The  Lark  and  the  Hawk,  281 

The  Wagtails  and  Pipits,  281 

The  Ant-Eaters,  282 

The  King  Bird,  282 

The  Chatterers,  282 

The  Lyre  Bird,  283 

ORDER  II 

CLIMBERS  AND  GAPERS 
The  Woodpecker,  284 
The  Wryneck,  284 
The  Cuckoo,  284 
The  Cuckoo  and  the  Hedge-Sparrow, 

285 

The  Cuckoo  and  the  Thrush,  286 
The  Trogons,  287 
The  Kingfishers,  287 
The  Hornbill,  287 
Thd  Goat-Suckers,  288 
The  Whip-poor-Will,  288 
The  Chuck-Will's- Widow,  288 
The  Swifts,  289 
The  Humming  Bird,  289 

ORDER  III 
THE  PARROTS 

Intelligence  of  the  Parrot,  290 
Famous  Parrots,  291 
The  Grey  Parrot,  292 
Parrot  Talk,  293 

ORDER  IV 

PIGEONS 
Carrier  Pigeons,  294 
Pigeons  on  the  Wing,  295 

ORDER  V 
FOWLS 
The  Peacock,  297 
The  Pheasant,  298 
The  Partridge,  299 
The  Wild  Turkey,  300 
The  Domestic  Turkey,  300 
Sagacity  of  the  Turkey,  300 
Sitting  Turkey  Cocks,  301 
Domestic  Fowls,  302 
The  Common  Hen,  303 

ORDER  VI 
The  Hoazin,  304 

ORDER  VII 
BIRDS  OF  PREY 
The  Eagle,  305 
Eagle  Shooting,  305 


White-Headed  Eagle,  306 

The  Vultures,  307 

The  Condor,  308 

The  King  of  the  Vultures,  308 

A  Feast  of  Vultures,  309 

The  Secretary  Bird,  310 

The  Kite.  The  Osprey.    The  Buzzard, 

3" 

The  Falcon,  311 
The  Sparrow-Hawk,  312 
The  Owl,  313 

ORDER  VIII 
WADING  BIRDS 
The  Cranes,  314 
The  Heron,  314 
The  Bittern,  315 
The  Stork,  315 
Jealousy  of  the  Stork,  315 
A  Stork's  Revenge,  316 

ORDER  IX 
THE  GEESE 

Gratitude  of  the  Goose,  316 

A  Wild  Goose  Chase,  317 

Goose  Friendships,  317 

The  Goose  and  the  Dog,  318 

Maternal  Instinct  of  the  Goose,  318 

The  Duck,  319 

The  Swan,  319 

Maternal  Instinct  of  the  Swan,  320 

Intelligence  of  the  Swan,  320 

The  Swan  and  the  Fawn,  321 

The  Common  Sea-Gull,  321 

A  Tame  Sea-Gull,  321 

Mother  Carey's  Chicken,  322 

Catching  the  Stormy  Petrel,  322 

The  Cormorant,  323 

The  Albatross,  324 

The  Pelican,  325 

A  Tame  Pelican,  325 

The  Penguin,  326 

The  Puffin,  327 

ORDER  X 
THE  OSTRICHES 
The  Ostrich  and  its  Young,  321 
TheRhea.  The  Cassowary.  The  Emu, 
329 

Vertebrata 

Class  III.— Reptilia 

ORDER  I 

The  Tortoise  and  the  Turtle,  331 
The  Elephant  Tortoise,  332 
The  Turtle,  333 


XII 


CONTENTS 


ORDER  II 
The  Crocodile,  334] 
The  Alligator,  335  ' 
A  Tame  Alligator,  336 

ORDER  III 
Hatteria  Punctata,  337 

ORDER  IV 
The  Lizards,  337 
The  Chameleon,  337 
The  Iguana,  338 
The  Common  Lizard,  338 
The  Monitor,  339 

ORDER  V 
Snakes,  339 
The  Viper,  340 

The  Viper  and  its  Young,  340 
The  Rattlesnake,  341 
The  Sting  of  the  Rattlesnake,  341 
The  Black  Snake  and  the  Rattlesnake, 

342* 

The  Cobra,  343 
Snake  Charming,  343 
The  Cobra  as  Companion  of  the  Bath, 

344 

A  Night  with  a  Cobra,  345 
An  Unpleasant  Bedfellow,  345 
The  Boa  Constrictor,  346 
The  Boa  and  its  Prey,  346 
The  Boa's  Appetite,  347 
A  Terrible  Boa,  348 
A  Narrow  Escape,  348 


Vertebrata 
Class  IV.— Batrachia 

The  Batrachia,  350 
The  Common  Toad,  351 
Tame  Toads,  351 
The  Common  Frog,  352 
Ingenuity  of  the  Frog,  352 
The  Tree  Frog,  353 

Vertebrata 
Class  V. — Pisces 

Fishes,  354 

The  Sticklebacks,  354 

The  Stickleback  and  the  Leech,  355 

The  Mackerel,  356 

The  Sword  Fish,  356 

The  Cod,  357 

The  Salmon,  358 

The  Pike,  358 

The  Herring,  360 
!    The  Flying  Fish,  360 
I    The  Eel,  361 
I    The  Gymnotus,  362 

Catching  the  Gymnotus,  362 

The  Torpedo,  365 

The  Shark,  366 

The  White  Shark,  366 

Sharks  in  the  South  Seas,  367 

The  Rays,  368 

Ray  Catching,  369 


NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 


INTRODUCTION. 

science.  Science  is  classified  truth.  Men  study  the  heavenly 
bodies,  note  their  characteristics,  observe  their  movements,  and 
define  their  relationships;  and  having  verified  their  deduc- 
tions by  repeated  experiments,  arrange  the  truths  they  have 
discovered  into  systems,  and  by  classifying  their  knowledge 
reduce  it  to  a  science:  this  science  they  call  Astronomy. 
Astronomy  is  thus  the  classified  arrangement  of  all  known 
truths  concerning  the  heavenly  bodies.  Geology,  similarly,  is 
the  classified  arrangement  of  all  known  truths  concerning  the 
material  structure  of  the  Earth. 
The  Kingdoms  The  Natural  World  has  been  variously  divided 

of  Nature.  for  the  purposes  of  study.  Linnaeus  divided 
it  into  three  kingdoms;  (I)  the  Mineral  kingdom  (II)  the 
Vegetable  kingdom  and  (III)  the  Animal  kingdom,  thus 
naming  the  three  kingdoms  in  the  order  of  their  natural 
geneses.  The  Mineral  kingdom  comprises  the  inorganic  forms 
of  nature, — those  which  have  no  organism  and  which  can 
only  increase  by  external  addition.  The  Vegetable  and 
Animal  kingdoms  comprise  the  organic  life  of  nature, — those 
forms  which  are  provided  with  means  for  promoting  their 
own  development  and  propagating  species.  The  Vegetable 
kingdom,  while  easily  distinguishable  from  the  Mineral 
kingdom  is  in  some  of  its  forms  so  similar  to  the  lower 
forms  of  animal  life  as  to  suggest  relationship  between  the 
two;  while  the  Animal  kingdom,  beginning  with  the  lower 
forms  which  approximate  so  closely  to  vegetable  -forms, 


2  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

embraces  the  whole  range  of  animal  life  and  reaches  its 
highest  order  in  man.  The  science  which  treats  of  organic 
life  as  a  whole  is  called  Biology,  while  its  two  departments 
are  separately  known  as  Botany  and  Zoology.  Natural 
History  is  a  general  term  popularly  applied  to  the  study  of 
Zoology. 

Zoology.  Zoology  is  the  science  of  animal  life.  It  deals 
with  the  origin  of  species,  and  the  evolution  of  the  varied 
forms  of  animated  nature,  and  treats  of  the  structure,  habits, 
and  environment  of  all  living  creatures.  Scientifically  speak- 
ing, Zoology  is  the  classified  arrangement  of  all  known  truths 
concerning  all  animal  organisms. 

Classification.  For  convenience  in  study  the  Animal  king- 
dom is  divided  into  seven  Sub-kingdoms,  each  of  which  is  further 
divided  into  classes.  These  Sub-kingdoms  are  known  as:  I 
Vertebrata,  II  Arthropoda,  III  Mollusca,  IV  Echinodermata, 
V  Vermes,  VI  Coelenterata,  and  VII  Protozoa.  Sub-kingdom  I, 
Vertebrata,  includes  all  animals  distinguished  by  the  possession 
of  Vertebrae  or  back-bones,  and  its  classes  are  I  Mammalia: — 
animals  that  suckle  their  young;  II  Aves: — Birds;  III 
Replilia: — Reptiles;  IV  Satrachia: — Frogs,  Toads,  etc.;  and  V 
Pisces: — Fishes.  Sub-kingdom  II,  Arthropoda,  includes  the 
Insect  families,  etc.,  which  it  also  divides  into  classes.  Sub-king- 
dom III,  Mollusca,  animals  of  the  cuttle-fish  order,  including 
limpets,  oysters,  and  slugs.  Sub-kingdom  IV,  Echinodermata, 
a  large  number  of  marine  animals,  such  as  the  star-fish 
and  the  sea-urchin.  Sub-kingdom  V,  Vermes,  the  various 
classes  of  worms.  Sub-kingdom  VI,  Coelenterata,  corals  and 
sponges,  etc.,  etc.,  and  Sub-kingdom  VII,  Protozoa, 
protoplasms  and  the  lowest  forms  of  animal  life.  This 
volume  is  devoted  to  the  illustration  of  the  first  of  these 
sub-kingdoms,  the  Vertebrata,  with  its  five  classes,  Mamma- 
lia, Aves,  Reptflia,  Batrachia  and  Pisces. 


THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM. 

SUB-KINGDOM  I— VERTEBRATA. 

CLASS    I— MAMMALIA. 

The  most  perfect  of  all  animals  is  man,  for 
T 

besides  having  a  marvellous  animal  organism 
PRIMATES 

he  possesses  reason,  which  so  far  transcends 

the  highest  instincts  of  other  animals,  that  it  places  him  in 
a    category  by  himself. 

SUB  ORDER  i.  Next  to  man  it  is  convenient  to  deal 
Man-shaped  with  man-shaped  animals,  (anthropoided) — 
Animals.  those  animals  which  most  resemble  him  in 
external  appearance  and  internal  organism.  This  brings  us 
to  the  order  called  Quadrumana  or  four-handed  animals 
which  include  Lemurs  and  their  allied  forms,  and  manlike 
monkeys.  Monkeys  are  divided  into  five  families,  one  at 
least  of  which  has  to  be  further  divided  into  sub-families  to 
accommodate  its  variety.  These  families  are:  I  The  Apes; 
II  The  Sacred  Monkeys;  III  The  Cheek-pouched  Monkeys; 
IV  The  Cebidae,  with  its  several  sub-families,  and  V  The 
Marmosets.  The  first  three  of  these  families  inhabit  the  old 
world,  the  last  two  belong  to  the  new. 

The  Ape        The   family  of  the  Apes  includes  the  Gorilla, 

Family,     the    Chimpanzee,    the    Orang-utan    or  mias,  the 

Gibbons  or  long-armed  Apes,  and  the  Siamang ;  of  these  the 

Gorilla  and   the  Chimpanzee  belong  to  the  West  of  Africa, 

the  Orang-utan  to  Borneo,  the  Gibbons  to  Assam,  the  Malay 


Peninsula,  Java,  Sumatra,  Borneo,  Cambodia  and  Hainan, 
and  the  Siamang  to  Java  and  Sumatra. 

The  Gorilla.  The  gorilla  is  the  largest  of  the  ape  family, 
and  sometimes  attains  to  the  height  of  six  feet.  It  is  also 
the  fiercest,  if  not  the  strongest,  of  man-shaped  animals.  It 
belongs  to  the  genus  Troglodytes  of  which  the  chimpanzee  is 
the  only  other  species,  and  it  inhabits  a  somewhat  limited 
range  of  Equatorial  Africa,  where  it  makes  for  itself  nests 
of  sticks  and  foliage,  among  the  lower  branches  of  trees, 
and  lives  upon  berries,  nuts  and  fruits.  Though  apparently 
a  vegetarian  the  gorilla  has  enormous  physical  strength.  His 
arms  bear  much  the  same  proportion  to  the  size  of  his  body 
as  those  of  man  do  relatively,  but  his  lower  limbs  are  shorter, 
and  have  no  calves,  the  leg  growing  thicker  from  the  knee 
downwards.  The  hands  are  broad,  thick,  and  of  great 
length  of  palm,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  strength ;  the 
feet,  broader  than  those  of  man,  and  more  like  hands,  are 
very  large  and  of  great  power.  The  gorilla  uses  his  hands 
when  walking  or  running,  but  as  his  arms  are  longer  than 
those  of  other  apes,  and  his  legs  shorter  he  stoops  less  than 
they  do  in  moving  from  place  to  place.  The  gorilla  herds 
in  small  companies,  or  rather  families,  one  adult  male  being 
the  husband  and  father  of  the  band.  The  females  are  much 
smaller  than  the  males. 

The  Ancestors  The  gorilla,  though  rediscovered  in  recent 
of  the  years,  was  apparently  known  to  the  ancients. 
Hanno,  a  Carthaginian  admiral  who  flourished 
some  five  or  six  hundred  years  B.C.,  once  sailed  from 
Carthage  with  a  fleet  of  sixty  vessels  and  a  company  of 
30,000  persons,  under  instructions  to  proceed  past  the  Pillars 
of  Hercules  (the  Straits  of  Gibraltar),  with  a  view  to  planting 
colonies  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa.  In  the  course  ot 
their  travels  they  discovered  several  islands  inhabited  by 
wild  creatures  with  hairy  bodies.  "There  were,"  says  the 
ancient  navigator,  "  many  more  females  than  males,  all  equally 


No.  1 


MILES'    NATURAL  HISTORY. 


THE  GORILLA.  5 

covered  with  hair  on  all  parts  of  the  body.  The  interpreters 
called  them  gorillas.  On  pursuing  them,  we  could  not  suc- 
ceed in  taking  a  single  male,  they  all  escaped  with  astonishing 
swiftness,  and  threw  stones  at  us ;  but  we  took  three  females, 
who  defended  themselves  with  so  much  violence,  that  we 
were  obliged  to  kill  them;  but  we  brought  their  skins, 
stuffed  with  straw,  to  Carthage."  Professor  Owen  remarks 
upon  this  that  "  though  such  creatures  would  suggest  to 
Hanno  and  his  crew  no  other  idea  of  their  nature  than 
that  of  a  kind  of  human  being,  yet  the  climbing  faculty, 
the  hairy  body,  and  the  skinning  of  the  dead  specimens 
strongly  suggest  that  they  were  great  apes.  The  fact  that 
apes  somewhat  resembling  the  negroes,  of  human  size  and 
with  hairy  bodies,  still  exist  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa 
renders  it  highly  probable  that  such  were  the  creatures  which 
Hanno  saw,  captuied,  and  called  'gorullai'." 

A  aoriiia  Hunt.  Paul  du  Chaillu,  in  his  "Stories  of  the  Gorilla 
Country, "  gives  a  graphic  description  of  his  first  sight  of  these 
"wild  men  of  the  woods."  He  was  inspecting  the  ruins  of 
a  native  village  with  a  party  of  Africans,  when  they  discovered 
footprints  which  the  natives  immediately  recognised  as  those 
of  the  gorilla.  "  It  was, "  says  he,  "  the  first  time  I  had 
seen  the  footprints  of  these  wild  men  of  the  woods,  and  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  I  felt.  Here  was  I  now,  it  seemed,  on 
the  point  of  meeting,  face  to  face,  that  monster,  of  whose 
ferocity,  strength  and  cunning,  the  natives  had  told  me  so 
much,  and  which  no  man  before  had  hunted.  By  the 
tracks  it  was  easy  to  know  that  there  must  have  been 
several  gorillas  in  company.  We  prepared  at  once  to  follow 
them.  My  men  were  remarkably  silent,  for  they  were 
going  on  an  expedition  of  more  than  usual  risk;  for  the 
male  gorilla  is  literally  the  king  of  the  forest — the  king  of  the 
equatorial  regions.  He  and  the  crested  lion  of  Mount  Atlas 
are  the  two  fiercest  and  strongest  beasts  of  that  continent. 
The  lion  of  South  Africa  cannot  be  compared  with  either 


6  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

for  strength  or  courage.  As  we  left  the  camp,  the  men  and 
women  left  behind  crowded  together,  with  fear  written  on 
their  faces.  Miengai,  Ngolai,  and  Makinda  set  out  for  the 
hunt  in  one  party;  myself  and  Yeava  formed  another.  We 
determined  to  keep  near  each  other,  so  that  in  case  of 
trouble  we  might  be  at  hand  to  help  one  another.  For  the 
rest  silence  and  a  sure  aim  were  the  only  cautions  to  be 
given.  I  confess  that  I  was  never  more  excited  in  my 
life.  For  years  I  had  heard  of  the  terrible  roar  of  the 
gorilla,  of  its  vast  strength,  of  its  fierce  courage  when  only 
wounded.  I  knew  that  we  were  about  to  pit  ourselves 
against  an  animal  which  even  the  enormous  leopards  of  the 
mountains  fear,  which  the  elephants  let  alone  and  which 
perhaps  has  driven  away  the  lion  out  of  his  territory ;  for  the 
fcing  of  beasts,  so  numerous  elsewhere  in  Africa,  is  not  met  with 
in  the  land  of  the  gorilla.  We  descended  a  hill,  crossed  a 
stream  on  a  fallen  log,  crept  under  the  trees,  and  presently 
approached  some  huge  boulders  of  granite.  In  the  stream 
we  had  crossed  we  could  see  plainly  that  the  animals  had 
just  crossed  it,  for  the  water  was  still  disturbed.  Along  side 
of  the  granite  blocks  lay  an  immense  dead  tree,  and  about 
this  the  gorillas  were  likely  to  be.  Our  approach  was  very 
cautious.  With  guns  cocked  and  ready  we  advanced  through 
the  dense  wood,  which  cast  a  gloom  even  at  mid-day  over 
the  whole  scene.  I  looked  at  my  men  and  saw  that  they 
were  even  more  excited  than  myself.  Slowly  we  pressed  on 
through  the  dense  bush,  dreading  almost  to  breathe  for  fear 
of  alarming  the  beasts.  Makinda  was  to  go  to  the  right  of 
the  rock,  while  I  took  the  left.  Unfortunately  he  and  his 
party  circled  it  at  too  great  a  distance.  The  watchful 
animals  saw  him.  Suddenly  I  was  startled  by  a  strange,  dis- 
cordant, half  human  cry,  and  beheld  four  young  and  half-grown 
gorillas  running  towards  the  deep  forest.  I  was  not  ready. 
We  fired  but  hit  nothing.  Then  we  rushed  on  in  pursuit; 
b::t  they  knew  the  woods  better  than  we.  Once  I  caught 


THE  GORILLA.  7 

a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  animals  again;  but  an  intervening 
tree  spoiled  my  mark,  and  I  did  not  fire.  We  pursued 
them  till  we  were  exhausted,  but  in  vain.  I  protest  I  felt 
almost  like  a  murderer  when  I  saw  the  gorilla  this  first  time. 
As  they  ran  on  their  hind  legs  with  their  heads  down,  their 
bodies  inclined  forward,  their  whole  appearance  was  that  of 
hairy  men  running  for  their  lives.  Add  to  this  their  cry,  so 
awful  yet  with  something  human  in  its  discordance,  and  you 
will  cease  to  wonder  that  the  natives  have  the  wildest 
superstitions  about  these  'wild  men  of  the  woods.'" 
Du  chaiiiu's  In  his  "  Explorations  and  Adventures  in  Equa- 
First  o-oriiia.  torial  Africa "  du  Chaillu  gives  an  equally 
thrilling  account  of  the  capture  of  his  first  gorilla.  He  says  : 
"  We  started  early,  and  pushed  through  the  most  dense  and 
impenetrable  part  of  the  forest;  in  hopes  to  find  the  very 
home  of  the  beast  I  so  much  wished  to  shoot.  Hour 
after  hour  we  travelled  and  yet  no  signs  of  gorillas.  Only 
the  everlasting,  little,  chattering  monkeys — and  not  many  of 
these — and  occasionally  birds.  Suddenly  Miengai  uttered  a 
little  cluck  with  his  tongue  which  is  the  native  way  of 
showing  that  something  is  stirring  and  that  a  sharp  look- 
out is  necessary.  And  presently  I  noticed,  ahead  of  us 
seemingly,  a  noise  as  of  some  one  breaking  down  branches 
or  twigs  of  trees.  This  was  a  gorilla — I  knew  at  once  by 
the  eager  satisfied  looks  of  the  men.  We  walked  with 
the  greatest  care  making  no  noise  at  all.  Suddenly,  as  we 
were  yet  creeping  along,  in  a  silence  which  made  a  heavy 
breath  seem  loud  and  distinct,  the  woods  were  at  once 
filled  with  the  tremendous  barking  roar  of  the  gorilla.  Then 
the  underbrush  swayed  rapidly  just  ahead,  and  presently 
before  us  stood  an  immense  male  gorilla.  He  had  gone 
through  the  jungle  on  all  fours;  but  when  he  saw  our  party 
he  erected  himself  and  looked  us  boldly  in  the  face.  He 
stood  about  a  dozen  yards  from  us,  and  was  a  sight  I 
think  I  shall  never  forget.  Nearly  six  feet  high  (he  proved 


8  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

four  inches  shorter),  with  immense  body,  huge  chest,  and 
great  muscular  arms,  with  fiercely  glaring,  large,  deep  gray 
eyes,  and  a  hellish  expression  of  face,  which  seemed  to  me 
like  some  nightmare  vision :  thus  stood  before  us  this  king  of 
the  African  forest.  He  was  not  afraid  of  us.  He  stood 
there  and  beat  his  breast  with  his  huge  fists  till  it  resounded 
like  an  immense  bass-drum,  which  is  the  gorillas'  mode  of 
offering  defiance;  meantime  giving  vent  to  roar  after  roar. 
The  roar  of  the  gorilla  is  the  most  singular  and  awful  noise 
heard  in  these  African  woods.  It  begins  with  a  sharp  bark, 
like  an  angry  dog,  then  glides  into  a  deep  bass  roll,  which 
literally  and  closely  resembles  the  roll  of  distant  thunder 
along  the  sky.  So  deep  is  it  that  it  seems  to  proceed 
less  from  the  mouth  and  throat  than  from  the  deep  chest 
and  vast  paunch.  His  eyes  began  to  flash  fiercer  fire  as 
we  stood  motionless  on  the  defensive,  and  the  crest  of  short 
hair  which  stands  on  his  forehead  began  to  twitch  rapidly 
up  and  down,  while  his  powerful  fangs  were  shown  as  he 
again  sent  forth  his  thunderous  roar.  He  advanced  a  few 
steps — then  stopped  to  utter  that  hideous  roar  again — 
advanced  again,  and  finally  stopped  when  at  a  distance  of 
about  six  yards  from  us.  And  here,  just  as  he  began  another 
of  his  roars,  beating  his  breast  with  rage,  we  fired,  and 
killed  him.  With  a  groan  which  had  something  terribly 
human  in  it,  and  yet  was  full  of  brutishness,  he  fell  forward 
en  his  face.  The  body  shook  convulsively  for  a  few  minutes, 
the  limbs  moved  about  in  a  struggling  way,  and  then  all 
was  quiet:  death  had  done  its  work,  and  I  had  leisure  to 
examine  the  huge  body.  It  proved  to  be  five  feet  eight 
inches  high,  and  the  muscular  development  of  the  arms  and 
breast  showed  what  immense  strength  it  had  possessed."  A 
smaller  gorilla,  shot  by  M.  du  Chaillu  on  another  occasion, 
measured  five  feet  six  inches  in  height,  fifty  inches  round 
the  chest,  and  his  arms  had  a  spread  of  seven  feet  two  inches. 


THE   GORILLA.  9 

A  Young  A  young  gorilla  which  some  natives  succeeded 
Gorilla.  m  capturing  for  M.  du  Chaillu,  and  which  he 
named  "  Fighting  Joe,  "  forms  the  subject  of  one  of  his  most 
interesting  chapters.  The  young  cub  was  caught  by  the  adroit 
use  of  a  cloth  which  one  of  the  natives  managed  to  throw 
over  his  head,  but  not  until  he  had  severely  bitten  one  of 
his  captors  in  the  hand  and  taken  a  mouthful  out  of  the 
leg  of  another.  He  was  about  three  years  old,  three  feet 
six  inches  in  height  and  of  great  strength.  A  cage  was 
made  for  him,  from  which  he  twice  escaped,  on  each  occasion 
being  recaptured  by  the  use  of  fishing  nets.  On  his  first 
escape  he  concealed  himself  under  the  bed  in  M.  du  Chaillu's 
house.  "  Running  in,"  says  the  writer,  "to  get  one  of  my  guns, 
I  was  startled  by  an  angry  growl.  It  was  master  Joe;  there 
was  no  mistake  about  it;  I  knew  his  growl  too  well.  I 
cleared  out  faster  than  I  came  in.  I  instantly  shut  the 
windows  and  called  in  my  people  to  guard  the  door.  When 
Joe  saw  the  crowd  of  black  faces  he  became  furious,  and 
with  his  eyes  glaring,  and  every  sign  of  rage  in  his  face  and 
body,  he  got  out  from  beneath  the  bed.  He  was  about  to 
make  a  rush  at  all  of  us.  He  was  not  afraid.  A  stampede  ot 
my  men  took  place,  I  shut  the  door  quickly  (from  outside) 
and  left  Joe  master  of  the  premises."  While  the  men 
outside  were  devising  means  for  his  recapture,  the  young 
gorilla  carefully  inspected  the  furniture  and  M.  du  Chaillu 
became  apprehensive  for  the  safety  of  his  clock,  the  ticking  of 
which  was  likely  to  attract  unwelcome  attention.  However, 
by  means  of  a  net  dexterously  thrown  over  him,  he  was 
secured  once  more  and  carried  back  to  his  cage,  which  in 
the  meantime  had  been  repaired,  the  full  strength  of  four 
men  being  required  for  the  purpose.  On  his  second  escape 
he  made  for  the  woods  and  took  refuge  in  a  large  clump  of 
trees.  "This  we  surrounded,"  says  M.  du  Chaillu.  "He 
did  not  ascend  a  tree,  but  stood  defiantly  at  the  border  of 
the  wood.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  us  surrounded 


10  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

him.  As  we  moved  up  he  began  to  yell,  and  made  a  dash 
upon  a  poor  fellow  who  was  in  advance.  The  fellow  ran 
and  tumbled  down  in  affright.  By  his  fall  he  escaped  the 
tender  mercies  of  Joe's  teeth;  but  he  also  detained  the 
little  rascal  long  enough  for  the  nets  to  be  thrown  over  him." 
But  Joe  was  a  child  of  nature  and  could  not  live  with  the 
chain  of  civilisation  around  his  neck,  and  he  died  somewhat 
suddenly  some  ten  days  afterwards  and  finally  found  his 
way  to  the  British  museum. 

Gorilla  According  to  du  Chaillu,  the  natives  entertain 
Superstitions,  many  superstitions  about  the  gorilla,  among  the 
commonest  of  which  is  the  belief  that  some  gorillas  are 
inhabited  by  human  spirits.  In  his  "  Stories  of  the  Gorilla 
Country  "  he  gives  an  interesting  illustration  of  this.  "  In  the 
evening,  "  he  says,  "  the  men  told  stories  about  gorillas.  '  I  re- 
member, '  said  one,  '  my  father  told  me  he  once  went  out  to 
the  forest,  when  just  in  his  path  he  met  a  great  gorilla.  My 
father  had  his  spear  in  his  hand.  When  the  gorilla  saw 
the  spear  he  began  to  roar;  then  my  father  was  terrified 
and  dropped  the  spear.  When  the  gorilla  saw  that  my 
father  had  dropped  the  spear  he  was  pleased.  He  looked 
at  him,  and  then  left  him  and  went  into  the  thick  forest. 
Then  my  father  was  glad  and  went  on  his  way.'  Here  all 
shouted:  'Yes!  so  we  must  do  when  we  meet  the  gorilla.  Drop 
the  spear;  that  appeases  him.'  Next  Gambo  spoke.  'Several 
dry  seasons  ago,  a  man  suddenly  disappeared  from  my 
village  after  an  angry  quarrel.  Some  time  after  an  Ashira 
of  that  village  was  out  in  the  forest.  He  met  a  very  large 
gorilla.  That  gorilla  was  the  man  who  had  disappeared; 
he  had  turned  into  a  gorilla.  He  jumped  upon  the  poor 
Ashira  and  bit  a  piece  out  of  his  arm;  then  he  let  him  go. 
Then  the  man  came  back  with  the  bleeding  arm.  He  told 
me  this,  I  hope  we  shall  not  meet  such  gorillas.'  Chorjts: 
'No;  we  shall  not  meet  such  wicked  gorillas.'  "I  myself," 
says  du  Chaillu,  "afterwards  met  that  man  in  the  Ashira 


II 

country.  I  saw  his  maimed  arm  and  he  repeated  the  same  story. " 
Then  one  of  the  men  spoke  up:  'If  we  kill  a  gorilla  to-morrow, 
I  should  like  to  have  a  part  of  the  brain  for  a  fetich. 
Nothing  makes  a  man  so  brave  as  to  have  a  fetich  of 
gorilla's  brain.  That  gives  a  man  a  strong  heart.'  Chorus  (of 
those  who  remained  awake)  'Yes;  that  gives  a  man  a  strong 
heart.'"  A  fetich  of  the  brain  of  the  gorilla  is  said  also  to 
help  its  owner  in  love  as  well  as  war. 

The  Chimpanzee.  The  chimpanzee  is  a  near  neighbour  of 
the  gorilla  in  Equatorial  Africa  though  he  appears  to  have 
a  more  extended  range.  He  is  found  in  Sierra  Leone  and 
in  the  country  lying  to  the  north  of  the  river  Congo,  and 
according  to  native  accounts  is  gregarious  in  his  habits, 
travelling  in  formidable  companies,  who  carry  sticks  and 
make  effective  use  of  them.  They  are  said  to  reach 
maturity  at  nine  or  ten  years  of  age  and  to  attain  a  height 
of  from  four  to  five  feet.  Like  the  gorillas  they  have 
immensely  powerful  limbs,  and  have  been  known  without 
apparent  effort  to  break  off  branches  of  trees  which  a  man 
would  have  been  powerless  to  bend. 

The  Docility  The  chimpanzee  differs  from  the  gorilla  in 
and  Sagacity  hig  amenabiiity  to  civilisation.  The  gorilla, 

OI  tllO 

Chimpanzee,  however  young,  seems  incapable  of  being  tamed ; 
while  the  chimpanzee  in  its  infancy  and  youth  at  least  has 
often  been  domesticated,  though  like  most  other  apes,  as  it 
approaches  maturity,  it  needs  to  be  kept  under  strong  control. 
Captain  Brown  in  his  "  Habits  and  Characteristics  of  Animals 
and  Birds"  gives  the  following  illustration  of  the  docility 
and  sagacity  of  the  chimpanzee.  He  says :  "  M.  de  Grandpre 
saw,  on  board  of  a  vessel,  a  female  chimpanzee,  which 
exhibited  wonderful  proofs  of  intelligence.  She  had  learnt 
to  heat  the  oven;  she  took  great  care  not  to  let  any  of  the 
coals  fall  out,  which  might  have  done  mischief  in  the  ship; 
and  she  was  very  accurate  in  observing  when  the  oven  was 
heated  to  the  proper  degree,  of  which  she  immediately 


12  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

apprized  the  baker,  who,  relying  with  perfect  confidence 
upon  her  information,  carried  his  dough  to  the  oven  as  soon 
as  the  chimpanzee  came  to  fetch  him.  This  animal  performed 
all  the  business  of  a  sailor,  spliced  ropes,  handled  the  sails, 
and  assisted  at  unfurling  them ;  and  she  was,  in  fact  considered 
by  the  sailors  as  one  of  themselves.  The  vessel  was  bound 
for  America;  but  the  poor  animal  did  not  live  to  see  that 
country,  having  fallen  a  victim  to  the  brutality  of  the  first 
mate,  who  inflicted  very  cruel  chastisement  upon  her,  which 
she  had  not  deserved.  She  endured  it  with  the  greatest 
patience,  only  holding  out  her  hands  in  a  suppliant  attitude, 
in  order  to  break  the  force  of  the  blows  she  received.  But 
from  that  moment  she  steadily  refused  to  take  any  food, 
and  died  on  the  fifth  day  from  grief  and  hunger.  She  was 
lamented  by  every  person  on  board,  not  insensible  to  the 
feelings  of  humanity,  who  knew  the  circumstances  of  her 
fate." 

The  The   orang-utan   is   one   of  the  largest  of  the 

Orang-utan.  ape  species  and  until  the  discovery  of  the 
gorilla  was  supposed  to  be  the  largest.  It  is  said  sometimes 
to  attain  to  the  height  of  six  feet,  and  some  travellers'  tales 
credit  it  with  even  greater  height.  The  orang  is  possessed 
of  great  strength  but  is  of  a  docile  disposition  when  brought 
under  civilisation,  and  even  in  a  wild  state  is  often  quiet 
and  peaceable  except  when  attacked.  It  inhabits  country 
that  is  low,  level,  and  swampy,  and  that  is  at  the  same 
time  covered  with  lofty  virgin  forests.  It  belongs  to  the 
genus  Simia  of  which  it  is  the  single  species. 

The  Habits      The    following  account  of  the  orang  is  given 
of  the       by    Mr.  Brooke  of  Sarawak.     "On  the  habits  of 

Orang-utan.  tne  Qj-^g^  as  far  as  j  have  been  able  to  observe 

them,  I  may  remark  that  they  are  as  dull  and  as  slothful 
as  can  well  be  conceived,  and  on  no  occasion,  when 
pursuing  them,  did  they  move  so  fast  as  to  preclude  my 
keeping  pace  with  them  easily  through  a  moderately  clear 


THE   ORANG-UTAN.  13 

forest;    and   even  when   obstructions  below  (such  as  wading 
up  to  the  neck)  allowed   them   to  get  away  some  distance, 
they  were  sure  to  stop  and  allow  us  to  come  up.     I  never 
observed    the   slightest    attempt  at   defence;   and  the  wood, 
which    sometimes    rattled    about   our  ears,   was   broken   by 
their   weight,   and   not  thrown,    as   some   persons  represent. 
If  pushed   to  extremity,  however,  the  pappan  could'  not  be 
otherwise  than   formidable;   and   one  unfortunate  man,  who 
with    a  party  was  trying  to  catch  one  alive,  lost  two  of  his 
fingers,  besides  being  severely  bitten  on  the  face,  whilst  the 
animal    finally    beat    off  his    pursuers  and   escaped.     When 
hunters   wish   to  catch  an  adult,   they  cut  down  a  circle  of 
trees    round    the  one  on   which  he  is  seated,  and  then  fell 
that   also,    and    close    before    he   can   recover   himself,   and 
endeavour   to    bind    him.     The    rude    hut    which    they  are 
stated   to   build  in  the  trees  would  be  more  properly  called 
a  seat,  or  nest,  for  it  has  no  roof  or  cover  of  any  sort.     The 
facility  with  which  they  form  this  seat  is  curious ;  and  I  had 
an    opportunity    of    seeing    a    wounded    female    weave    the 
branches  together,  and  seat  herself  in  a  minute.     She  after- 
wards received  our  fire  without  moving,  and  expired  in  her 
lofty  abode,  whence  it  cost  us  much  trouble  to  dislodge  her. 
The  adult   male   I  killed   was   seated  lazily  on  a  tree;  and 
when    approached    only    took    the    trouble    to  interpose  the 
trunk  between  us,  peeping  at  me  and  dodging  as  I  dodged. 
I  hit  him  on  the  wrist,  and  he  was  afterwards  despatched." 
The  Walk        ^n    locomotion    the    orang  disdains  the   earth 
of  the       and   perambulates    the    vernal    terraces    of    the 
Orang-utan.  forest   trees      « jt    js  a  singular  sight,"  says  Mr. 
Wallace,    "to  watch    a  mias   (orang-utan)   making   his   way 
leisurely  through  a  forest.     He  walks  deliberately  along  some 
of  the  larger  branches  in  the  semi-erect  attitude  which  the 
great  length  of  his  arms  and  the  shortness  of  his  legs  cause 
him  naturally  to  assume,  and  seems  always  to  choose  those 
branches    which    intermingle    with    an    adjoining    tree,    on 


14  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

approaching  which  he  stretches  out  his  long  arms,  and 
seizing  the  opposing  boughs,  grasps  them  together  with 
both  hands,  seems  to  try  their  strength,  and  then  deliber- 
ately swings  himself  across  to  the  next  branch  on  which  he 
walks  along  as  before.  He  never  jumps  or  springs,  or  even 
appears  to  hurry  himself,  and  yet  manages  to  get  along 
almost  as  quickly  as  a  person  can  run  through  the  forest 
beneath." 

The  strength      "The  Dyaks,"  says  Mr.  Wallace,  "all  declare 
of  the       that  the  mias  is  never  attacked  by  any  animal  in 

Orang-utan.  ^e  forest,  with  two  rare  exceptions;  and  the 
accounts  received  of  these  are  so  curious  that  I  give  them 
nearly  in  the  words  of  my  informants,  old  Dyak  Chiefs,  who 
had  lived  all  their  lives  in  the  places  where  the  animal  is  most 
abundant.  The  first  of  whom  I  enquired  said,  '  No  animal  is 
strong  enough  to  hurt  the  mias,  and  the  only  creature  he  ever 
fights  with  is  the  crocodile.  When  there  is  no  fruit  in  the 
jungle  he  goes  to  seek  food  on  the  banks  of  the  river  where 
there  are  plenty  of  young  shoots  that  he  likes,  and  fruits  that 
grow  close  to  the  water.  Then  the  crocodile  sometimes  tries 
to  seize  him,  but  the  mias  gets  upon  him  and  beats  him  with 
his  hands  and  feet,  and  tears  and  kills  him.'  He  added  that  he 
had  once  seen  such  a  fight  and  that  he  believed  that  the  mias 
is  always  the  victor.  My  next  informant  was  Orang  Kayo 
or  chief  of  the  Balow  Dyaks  on  the  Simunjou  River.  He 
said  the  mias  has  no  enemies,  no  animals  dare  attack  it 
but  the  crocodile  and  the  python.  He  always  kills  the 
crocodile  by  main  strength,  standing  upon  it,  and  pulling  open 
its  jaws  and  ripping  up  its  throat.  If  a  python  attacks  a 
mias  he  seizes  it  with  his  hands  and  then  bites  it,  and 
soon  kills  it.  The  mias  is  very  strong;  there  is  no  animal 
in  the  jungle  so  strong  as  he." 

The  Docility    Buffon  thus  describes  an  orang-utan  that  he 
of  the       saw:      "His    aspect    was    melancholy,    his    de- 

Orang-u  an.  pOrtment    grave,    his    movements    regular,    and 


THE  ORANG-UTAN.  15 

his  disposition  gentle.  Unlike  the  baboon  or  the  monkey, 
who  are  fond  of  mischief,  and  only  obedient  through  fear, 
a  look  kept  him  in  awe;  while  the  other  animals  could 
not  be  brought  to  obey  without  blows.  He  would  present 
his  hand  to  conduct  the  people  who  came  to  visit  him,  and 
walk  as  gravely  along  with  them  as  if  he  had  formed  a  part 
of  the  company.  I  have  seen  him  sit  down  at  table,  when 
he  would  unfold  his  towel,  wipe  his  lips,  use  a  spoon  or  a 
fork  to  carry  his  victuals  to  his  mouth,  pour  his  liquor  into 
a  glass,  and  make  it  touch  that  of  a  person  who  drank  along 
with  him.  When  invited  to  take  tea,  he  would  bring  a  cup 
and  saucer,  place  them  on  the  table,  put  in  sugar,  pour  out  the 
tea,  and  allow  it  to  cool  before  he  drank  it.  All  this  I  have  seen 
him  perform  without  any  other  instigation  than  the  signs  or  the 
command  of  his  master,  and  often  even  of  his  own  accord." 
The  Orang-utan's  M.  de  la  Bosse  thus  describes  two  young 
intelligence,  orang-utans,  male  and  female.  "We  had 
these  animals  with  us  on  shipboard.  They  ate  at  the  same 
table  with  us.  When  they  wanted  anything,  they,  by 
certain  signs,  acquainted  the  cabin  boy  with  their  wishes; 
and  if  he  did  not  bring  it,  they  sometimes  flew  into  a  rage 
at  him,  bit  him  in  the  arm,  and  not  unfrequently  threw  him 
down.  The  male  fell  sick  during  the  voyage,  and  submitted 
to  be  treated  like  a  human  patient.  The  disease  being  of 
an  inflammatory  nature,  the  surgeon  bled  him  twice  in  the 
right  arm;  and  when  he  afterwards  felt  himself  indisposed, 
he  used  to  hold  out  his  arm  to  be  bled,  because  he  recol- 
lected that  he  found  himself  benefited  by  that  operation  on 
a  former  occasion." 

The  Orang-utan's  Dr.  Tyson  in  describing  one  of  the  earliest 
Affection.  specimens  of  the  orang  brought  to  London,  says 
that  it  conceived  a  great  affection  for  those  with  whom  travel 
had  made  it  familiar,  frequently  embracing  them  with  the 
greatest  tenderness.  A  female  orang  belonging  to  a  Dutch 
menagerie  showed  the  greatest  affection  for  her  attendants, 


1 6  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

giving  unmistakable  signs  of  her  delight  in  their  company 
and  distress  in  their  absence.  She  would  often  take  the 
hay  from  her  bed  and  spread  it  at  her  side  and  with  anxious 
and  obvious  signs  invite  her  keeper  to  sit  beside  her.  M. 
Palavicini  credited  a  pair  of  orangs  which  he  had  in  his 
possession  in  1759  with  the  still  more  remarkable  quality 
in  animals  of  bashfulness.  It  is  said  that  the  female  would 
shrink  from  the  too  persistent  gaze  of  a  spectator,  and  throw 
herself  into  the  arms  of  the  male,  hiding  her  face  in  his 
bosom. 

The  Maternal  In  his  "Marvels  and  Mysteries  of  Instinct," 
Instinct.  Mr.  Garrett  gives  the  following  instance  of 
maternal  affection.  "A  gentleman  was  out  with  a  party  of 
men  in  Sumatra,  when  in  some  trees  removed  from  a  dense 
forest  a  female  orang-utan,  with  a  young  one  in  its  arms, 
was  discovered,  and  the  pursuit  commenced.  In  the  ardour 
of  the  moment,  and  excited  by  the  hope  of  possessing  an 
animal  so  rare,  the  gentleman  forgot  everything  but  the  prize 
before  him,  and  urged  on  his  men  by  the  promise  of  a 
reward,  should  their  exertions  be  successful.  Thus  stimulated 
they  followed  up  the  chase ;  the  animal,  encumbered  by  her 
young  one,  making  prodigious  efforts  to  gain  the  dense  and 
intricate  recesses  of  the  wood,  springing  from  tree  to  tree, 
and  endeavouring  by  every  means  to  elude  her  pursuers. 
Several  shots  were  fired,  and  at  length  one  took  fatal  effect, 
the  ball  penetrating  the  right  side  of  the  chest.  Feeling 
herself  mortally  wounded,  and  with  the  blood  gushing  from 
her  mouth,  she  from  that  moment  took  no  care  of  herself, 
but  with  a  mother's  feelings  summoned  up  all  her  dying 
energies  to  save  her  young  one.  She  threw  it  onwards  over 
the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  from  one  branch  to  another, 
taking  the  most  desperate  leaps  after  it  herself,  and  again 
facilitating  its  progress  until,  the  intricacy  of  the  forest  being 
nearly  gained,  its  chances  of  success  were  sure.  All  this  time 
the  blood  was  flowing:  but  her  efforts  had  been  unabated, 


THE   GIBBONS.  17 

and  it  was  only  when  her  young  one  was  on  the  point  of 
attaining  to  a  place  of  safety  that  she  rested  on  one  of  the 
topmost  branches  of  a  gigantic  tree.  True  to  her  ruling 
passion,  even  in  death,  she  turned  for  a  moment  to  gaze 
after  her  young  one,  reeled,  and  fell  head  foremost  to  the 
ground.  The  sight  was  so  touching  that  it  called  forth  the 
sympathy  of  the  whole  party.  The  eagerness  of  the  chase 
subsided;  and  so  deep  an  impression  did  the  maternal 
tenderness  and  unexpected  self-devotion  of  the  poor  orang 
make  on  the  gentleman  alluded  to,  whose  heart  was  indeed 
formed  in  'nature's  gentlest  mould,'  that  he  expressed  the 
utmost  remorse  and  pity,  declaring  that  he  would  not  go 
through  the  same  scene  again  for  all  the  world ;  nor  did  the 
tragical  death  of  the  animal  cease  to  haunt  his  mind  for 
many  weeks,  and  he  never  afterwards  recurred  to  it  but  with 
feelings  of  emotion.  The  preserved  skin  is  now  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Zoological  Society." 

Gibbons  or  Long  The  gibbons  belong  to  the  genus  Hylobates, 
Armed  Apes.  of  which  there  are  several  species.  They  are 
characterised  by  the  ability  to  walk  almost  erect,  hence  the 
name  Hylobates.  They  live  in  the  tops  of  trees,  in  large 
companies  and  possess  marvellous  powers  of  locomotion, 
swinging  themselves  from  tree  to  tree  with  such  rapidity  as 
to  baffle  all  pursuit.  When  on  the  ground  they  balance 
themselves  in  walking  by  holding  their  hands  above  their 
heads.  The  adult  gibbon  is  about  three  feet  in  height 
and  has  a  reach  of  arms  of  about  six  feet.  The  gibbon  is 
tractable  and  capable  of  strong  affection  towards  those  who 
show  it  kindness.  One  of  the  Hoolock  species  petted  by 
Dr.  Burrough,  became  companionable  and  would  sit  at  his 
master's  breakfast-table,  eat  eggs  and  chicken,  and  drink  tea 
and  coffee  with  great  propriety.  Fruit  was  his  favourite 
food,  but  insects  were  especially  palatable  to  him  and  he 
was  an  expert  in  catching  flies.  The  siamang  differs  from 
the  other  species  of  long-armed  apes  in  the  formation  of  its 

2 


1 8  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

feet  and  in  several  other  characteristics.  It  is,  however, 
similar  to  the  Hoolock  in  its  amenity  to  kindness  and  its 
affection  for  its  master,  when  brought  under  the  influence  of 
kindly  treatment.  The  gibbons  have  great  strength  in  their  lower 
limbs,  whereby  they  are  enabled  to  leap  surprising  distances. 
M.  Duvaneel  said  he  once  saw  one  of  these  animals  clear 
a  space  of  forty  feet,  from  the  branch  of  a  tree.  Mr.  George 
Bennet,  in  his  "  Wanderings,"  describes  the  action  of  a 
siamang  that  belonged  to  him,  which  having  managed  to  free 
himself  of  his  tether,  proceeded  to  embrace  the  legs  of 
the  Malays  whom  he  came  across,  until  he  discovered  his 
former  master,  whereupon  he  climbed  into  the  Malay's  arms 
and  hugged  him  with  the  tenderest  affection. 

Monkeys.  Monkeys  differ  from  the  apes  we  have  dealt  with  in 
the  important  characteristic,  among  others,  of  possessing  tails. 
These  vary  in  length  from  inches  to  feet,  in  some  cases  being 
considerably  longer  than  the  body  and  in  others  little  more 
than  stumps.  They  vary  also  in  form,  some  being  completely 
covered  with  hair,  and  others  only  partially  so;  some 
apparently  useful  only  as  ornaments,  others  being  prehensile, 
that  is  capable  of  grasp,  and  giving  their  owners  almost 
the  advantage  of  a  fifth  limb. 

The  Sacred  The  Sacred  Monkeys  (Semnopithecidce)  in- 
Monkeys.  elude  two  genera  and  a  large  number  of  species. 
Among  these  are  the  species  which  bear  the  name  of 
Hanuman,  a  Hindoo  divinity,  and  are  worshipped  in  his 
honour.  The  protection  these  monkeys  receive  on  account 
of  the  superstitions  prevalent  concerning  them,  leads  to  their 
large  increase  in  numbers  and  to  many  inconveniences 
arising  therefrom.  It  is  said  that  if  a  traveller  should  be 
unfortunate  enough  to  offend  one  of  these  animals  he  is 
likely  enough  to  be  followed  by  the  whole  party  howling  in 
a  most  hideous  and  discordant  manner,  and  pelting  him 
with  any  missiles  upon  which  they  can  lay  their  hands. 
There  are  eighteen  species  of  the  Semnopithecus,  all  of  which 


MONKEYS.  19 

are  found  in  the  East.  Of  these  the  Entellus  is  one  of  the 
best  known  species.  It  is  very  susceptible  to  cold,  and 
cannot  live  long  in  Europe. 

The  Long-nosed  The  Long-nosed  Monkey  (Semnopithecus 
Monkey.  Larvatus)  belongs  to  this  family  and  is 
distinguished,  as  its  name  implies,  by  the  length  of  its 
proboscis.  This  animal  is  described  by  Wallace  as  about 
the  size  of  a  child  of  three  years  of  age,  while  possessing  a 
nose  considerably  longer  than  that  of  any  human  adult. 
From  the  head  to  the  tip  of  the  tail  the  proboscis  monkey 
measures  about  four  feet  and  a  half.  It  is  sometimes  called 
the  Kahau  from  its  cry  which  resembles  the  sound  of  that 
word.  It  is  said  to  hold  its  nose  when  leaping  to  protect 
it  from  being  injured  by  the  branches  of  trees.  The  second 
genus  of  this  family,  of  which  there  are  numerous  species, 
belongs  to  Africa. 

Oheek-pouched  The  Cheek-pouched  Monkeys  form  the 
Monkeys.  third  family  of  the  quadrumana.  They  include 
seven  genera,  and  sixty  or  seventy  species,  of  which  five 
genera  belong  to  Africa  and  two  to  Asia  and  to  the  Malay 
Islands.  Among  the  better  known  of  these  species  is  the 
Talapoin  of  West  Africa ;  the  Diana  monkey  and  the  Mona 
(Africa)";  the  little  White-nosed  monkey  (Guinea);  the  Grivet 
(Nubia  and  Abyssinia);  the  Green  monkey  (Cape  de  Verds); 
the  Patas  (Senegal) ;  the  Malbrouck  monkey ;  and  the  Vervet 
monkey  (South  Africa).  The  Green  monkey  and  the  Vervet 
monkey  are  those  most  commonly  seen  in  England.  One  of 
the  best  known  members  of  this  family  is  the  Baboon. 

The  Baboon.  The  baboon  is  found  in  many  parts  of  Africa, 
and  one  of  its  species  hi  Arabia.  It  is  of  the  genus 
cynocephalus,  and  some  of  its  species  attain  to  considerable 
size;  the  head  and  face  of  one  species  resembling  those 
of  a  dog,  it  is  sometimes  called  the  dog-faced  baboon. 
The  baboon  herds  in  large  numbers,  and  is  said  to  make 
apparently  organized  attacks  upon  villages  during  the 


20  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

absence  of  the  peasants  in  harvest  time,  placing  sentinels 
on  the  look  out,  to  apprise  them  of  danger,  while  they  visit 
the  houses  and  take  possession  of  all  the  food  they  can  find. 
They  are  cunning  and  powerful,  and  formidable  in  combat, 
but,  greedy  in  habit,  they  eat  to  excess,  and  when  gorged  to 
satiety  fall  an  easy  prey  to  their  enemies.  In  their  wild  state 
they  feed  on  berries  and  bulbous  roots,  but  when  proximity 
to  civilisation  gives  them  wider  opportunity,  they  show  their 
appreciation  of  a  more  varied  menu.  Among  the  more 
familiar  species  of  the  baboon  are  the  Chackma,  the  Drill, 
the  Mandrill,  the  Anubis,  the  Babouin,  and  the  Sphinx,  all  of 
which  belong  to  the  West  of  Africa. 

The  The    Arabian   baboon    is    an    animal    with    a 

Arabian    history.     It    was    worshipped   by  the  Egyptians, 

Baboon.  ^Q  embalmed  its  body  after  death  and  set 
apart  portions  of  their  cemeteries  for  its  use.  Sacred  to 
Thoth,  the  Egyptian  Hermes,  the  God  of  letters,  the  baboon 
sometimes  represents  that  deity  in  Egyptian  sculptures,  where 
it  is  usually  figured  in  a  sitting  posture,  the  attitude  in 
which  its  body  was  generally  embalmed.  The  baboon  was 
also  held  as  emblematic  of  the  Moon,  and  honoured  sym- 
bolically hi  other  connections.  It  is  commonly  represented 
in  judgment  scenes  of  the  dead  with  a  pair  of  scales  in 
front  of  it,  Thoth  being  supposed  to  exercise  important 
duties  in  the  final  judgment  of  men.  The  baboon  was 
held  especially  sacred  at  Hermopolis.  According  to  Sir 
J.  G.  Wilkinson  the  Egyptians  trained  baboons  to  useful 
offices,  making  them  torch-bearers  at  their  feasts  and  festivals. 
The  Like  others  of  the  monkey  tribes  the  baboon 

imitative    shows    %&    extraordinary    faculty   for   imitation, 
of  the      Captain    Browne  in  his  "Characteristics  of  Ani- 

Baboon.  mals  "  says :  "  The  following  circumstance  is  truly 
characteristic  of  the  imitative  powers  of  the  baboon: — 
The  army  of  Alexander  the  Great  marched  in  complete  battle- 
array  into  a  country  inhabited  by  great  numbers  of  baboons, 


THE  BABOON.  21 

and  encamped  there  for  the  night.  The  next  morning,  when 
the  army  was  about  to  proceed  on  its  march,  the  soldiers 
saw,  at  some  distance,  an  enormous  number  of  baboons, 
drawn  up  in  rank  and  file,  like  a  small  army,  with  such 
regularity,  that  the  Macedonians,  who  could  have  no  idea 
of  such  a  manoeuvre,  imagined  at  first  that  it  was  the  enemy 
drawn  up  to  receive  them." 

The  The   chackma  lives  among  the  mountains  of 

Chackma    the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  where  he  attains  about 

Baboon.     tne  sjze   of  an  English  mastiff  and  even  greater 

strength.     He  descends  to  the  plains  on  foraging  expeditions, 

and,  when  not  attacked,  will  usually  make  off  on  the  approach 

of  danger,   but  if  aroused  to  anger  can  both  show  and  use 

his    teeth,  and  is  far  superior  to  the  average  English  boy  in 

throwing  stones. 

The  Baboon's  Le  Vaillant  gives  an  interesting  account  of 
Utility.  a  chackma  baboon  which  accompanied  him 
through  South  Africa,  and  which  bore  the  name  of  Kees. 
He  says :  "  I  made  him  my  taster.  Whenever  we  found  fruits 
or  roots,  with  which  my  Hottentots  were  unacquainted,  we 
did  not  touch  them  till  Kees  had  tasted  them.  If  he  threw 
them  away,  we  concluded  that  they  were  either  of  a  dis- 
agreeable flavour,  or  of  a  pernicious  quality,  and  left  them 
untasted.  The  monkey  possesses  a  peculiar  property,  wherein 
he  differs  greatly  from  other  animals,  and  resembles  man, — 
namely,  that  he  is  by  nature  equally  gluttonous  and  inquisitive. 
Without  necessity,  and  without  appetite,  he  tastes  every 
thing  that  falls  in  his  way,  or  that  is  given  to  him.  But 
Kees  had  a  still  more  valuable  quality,--he  was  an  excellent 
sentinel ;  for,  whether  by  day  or  night,  he  immediately  sprang 
up  on  the  slightest  appearance  of  danger.  By  his  cry,  and 
the  symptoms  of  fear  which  he  exhibited,  we  were  always 
apprized  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  even  though  the  dogs 
perceived  nothing  of  it.  The  latter,  at  length,  learned  to  rely 
upon  him  with  such  confidence,  that  they  slept  on  in  per- 


22  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

feet  tranquillity.  I  often  took  Kees  with  me  when  I  went 
hunting;  and  when  he  saw  me  preparing  for  sport,  he 
exhibited  the  most  lively  demonstrations  of  joy.  On  the  way, 
he  would  climb  into  the  trees  to  look  for  gum,  of  which  he 
was  very  fond.  Sometimes  he  discovered  to  me  honey, 
deposited  in  the  clefts  of  rocks,  or  hollow  trees.  But,  if  he 
happened  to  have  met  with  neither  honey  nor  gum,  and 
his  appetite  had  become  sharp  by  his  running  about,  I  always 
witnessed  a  very  ludicrous  scene.  In  those  cases,  he  looked 
for  roots,  which  he  ate  with  great  greediness,  especially  a 
particular  kind,  which,  to  his  cost,  I  also  found  to  be  very 
well  tasted  and  refreshing,  and  therefore  insisted  upon  sharing 
with  him.  In  order  to  draw  these  roots  out  of  the  ground, 
he  employed  a  very  ingenious  method,  which  afforded  me 
much  amusement.  He  laid  hold  of  the  herbage  with  his 
teeth,  stemmed  his  fore  feet  against  the  ground,  and  drew 
back  his  head,  which  gradually  pulled  out  the  root.  But  if 
this  expedient,  for  which  he  employed  his  whole  strength, 
did  not  succeed,  he  laid  hold  of  the  leaves  as  before,  as 
close  to  the  ground  as  possible,  and  then  threw  himself 
heels  over  head,  which  gave  such  a  concussion  to  the  root, 
that  it  never  failed  to  come  out. 

The  Tame  "  Serpents  excepted,  there  were  no  animals  of 
Baboon,  whom  Kees  stood  in  such  great  dread  as  of  his 
own  species, — perhaps  owing  to  a  consciousness  of  loss  of 
natural  capacity.  Sometimes  he  heard  the  cry  of  other 
apes  among  the  mountains,  and,  terrified  as  he  was,  he 
yet  answered  them.  But,  if  they  approached  nearer,  and 
he  saw  any  of  them,  he  fled,  with  a  hideous  cry,  crept 
between  our  legs,  and  trembled  over  his  whole  body.  It  was 
very  difficult  to  compose  him,  and  it  required  some  time 
before  he  recovered  from  his  fright. 

The  Cunning     "  ^e  a^  otner  animals,  Kees  was  addicted  to 

of  the        stealing.    He    understood    admirably   well   how 

Baboon.     to  jooge  fae  strings  of  a  basket,  in  order  to  take 


THE  BABOON.  23 

victuals  out  of  it,  especially  milk,  of  which  he  was  very  fond. 
My  people  chastised  him  for  these  thefts ;  but  that  did  not 
make  him  amend  his  conduct.  I  myself  sometimes  whipped 
him ;  but  then  he  ran  away,  and  did  not  return  again  to  the 
tent  until  it  grew  dark.  Once,  as  I  was  about  to  dine,  and 
had  put  the  beans,  which  I  had  boiled  for  myself,  upon  a 
plate,  I  heard  the  voice  of  a  bird  with  which  I  was  not 
acquainted.  I  left  my  dinner  standing,  seized  my  gun,  and 
ran  out  of  the  tent.  After  the  space  of  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  I  returned,  with  the  bird  in  my  hand,  but,  to  my 
astonishment,  found  not  a  single  bean  upon  the  plate.  Kees 
had  stolen  them  all,  and  taken  himself  out  of  the  way. 
When  he  had  committed  any  trespass  of  this  kind,  he  used 
always,  about  the  time  when  I  drank  tea,  to  return  quietly, 
and  seat  himself  in  his  usual  place,  with  every  appearance 
of  innocence,  as  if  nothing  had  happened ;  but  this  evening 
he  did  not  let  himself  be  seen.  And,  on  the  following  day, 
also,  he  was  not  seen  by  any  of  us ;  and,  in  consequence, 
I  began  to  grow  seriously  uneasy  about  him,  and  apprehen- 
sive that  he  might  be  lost  for  ever.  But,  on  the  third  day, 
one  of  my  people,  who  had  been  to  fetch  water,  informed 
me  that  he  had  seen  Kees  in  the  neighbourhood,  but  that, 
as  soon  as  the  animal  espied  him,  he  had  concealed  himself 
again.  I  immediately  went  out  and  beat  the  whole  neigh- 
bourhood with  my  dogs.  All  at  once,  I  heard  a  cry,  like 
that  which  Kees  used  to  make,  when  I  returned  from  my 
shooting,  and  had  not  taken  him  with  me.  I  looked  about, 
and  at  length  espied  him,  endeavouring  to  hide  himself 
behind  the  large  branches  of  a  tree.  I  now  called  to  him 
in  a  friendly  tone  of  voice,  and  made  motions  to  him  to  come 
down  to  me.  But  he  could  not  trust  me,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  climb  up  the  tree  to  fetch  him.  He  did  not  attempt  to  fly, 
and  we  returned  together  to  my  quarters;  here  he  expected 
to  receive  his  punishment;  but  I  did  nothing,  as  it  would 
have  been  of  no  use. 


24  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 


The  Loyalty     "  An  °^cer>  wishing  to  put  the  fidelity  of  my 
of  the      baboon  to  the  test,  pretended  to  strike  me.     At 

Baboon,  fafe  ^Q  flew  jn  a  violent  rage,  and,  from  that  time, 
could  never  endure  the  sight  of  the  officer.  If  he  only  saw 
him  at  a  distance  he  began  to  cry,  and  make  all  kinds  of 
grimaces,  which  evidently  showed  that  he  wished  to  revenge 
the  insult  that  had  been  done  to  me;  he  ground  his  teeth; 
and  endeavoured,  with  all  his  might,  to  fly  at  his  face,  but 
that  was  out  of  his  power,  as  he  was  chained  down.  The 
offender  several'  times  endeavoured,  in  vain,  to  conciliate 
him,  by  offering  him  dainties,  but  he  remained  long  im- 
placable. 

The  «  When  any  eatables  were  pilfered,  at  my  quar- 

f  1«?U  8  *ers»  ^ie  ^au^  was  a^wa7s  taid  upon  Kees;  and  rarely 

Baboon,  was  the  accusation  unfounded.  For  a  time  the 
eggs,  which  a  hen  laid  me,  were  constantly  stolen,  and 
I  wished  to  ascertain  whether  I  had  to  attribute  this  loss  also 
to  him.  For  this  purpose  I  went  one  morning  to  watch  him, 
and  waited  till  the  hen  announced,  by  her  cackling,  that  she 
had  laid  an  egg.  Kees  was  sitting  upon  my  vehicle;  but, 
the  moment  he  heard  the  hen's  voice,  he  leapt  down,  and 
was  running  to  fetch  the  egg.  When  he  saw  me,  he  suddenly 
stopped,  and  affected  a  careless  posture,  swaying  himself 
backwards  upon  his  hind  legs,  and  assuming  a  very  innocent 
look  ;  in  short,  he  employed  all  his  art  to  deceive  me  with 
respect  to  his  design.  His  hypocritical  manoeuvres  only  con- 
firmed my  suspicions,  and,  in  order,  in  my  turn,  to  deceive 
him,  I  pretended  not  to  attend  to  him,  and  turned  my  back 
to  the  bush  where  the  hen  was  cackling,  upon  which  he 
immediately  sprang  to  the  place.  I  ran  after  him,  and  came 
up  to  him  at  the  moment  when  he  had  broken  the  egg  and 
was  swallowing  it.  Having  caught  the  thief  in  the  fact,  I 
gave  him  a  good  beating  upon  the  spot,  but  this  severe 
chastisement  did  not  prevent  his  soon  stealing  fresh-laid  eggs 
again.  As  I  was  convinced  that  I  should  never  be  able  to 


THE  BABOON.  25 

break  Kees  off  his  natural  vices,  and  that,  unless  I  chained 
him  up  every  morning,  I  should  never  get  an  egg,  I  endea- 
voured to  accomplish  my  purpose  in  another  manner;  I 
t)  ained  one  of  my  dogs,  as  soon  as  the  hen  cackled,  to  run 
t,.  the  nest,  and  bring  me  the  egg,  without  breaking  it.  In 
a  few  days,  the  dog  had  learned  his  lesson ;  but  Kees,  as 
soon  as  he  heard  the  hen  cackle,  ran  with  him  to  the  nest. 
A  contest  now  took  place  between  them,  who  should  have 
the  egg;  often  the  dog  was  foiled,  although  he  was  the 
stronger  of  the  two.  If  he  gained  the  victory,  he  ran  joyfully 
to  me  with  the  egg,  and  put  it  into  my  hand.  Kees,  never- 
theless, followed  him,  and  did  not  cease  to  grumble  and  make 
threatening  grimaces  at  him,  till  he  saw  me  take  the  egg, — 
as  if  he  was  comforted  for  the  loss  of  his  booty  by  his 
adversary's  not  retaining  it  for  himself.  If  Kees  had  got  hold 
of  the  egg,  he  endeavoured  to  run  with  it  to  a  tree,  where, 
having  devoured  it,  he  threw  down  the  shells  upon  his 
adversary,  as  if  to  make  game  of  him.  Kees  was  always  the 
first  awake  in  the  morning,  and,  when  it  was  the  proper  time, 
he  awoke  the  dogs,  who  were  accustomed  to  his  voice,  and, 
in  general,  obeyed,  without  hesitation,  the  slightest  motions 
by  which  he  communicated  his  orders  to  them,  immediately 
taking  their  posts  about  the  tent  and  carriage,  as  he  directed 
them." 
The  Bonnet  The  bonnet  monkey  is  of  the  genus  macacus, 

Monkey.  an(j  js  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  India.  It 
is  characterized  by  a  bonnet,  or  cap  of  hair,  which  radiates 
from  the  centre  of  the  crown.  It  is  known  as  the  Macacus 
Radiatus.  Other  species  of  the  genus  macacus  are  the 
Rhesus  monkey,  the  Wanderoo,  the  Barbary  Ape  or  Magol, 
and  the  Macaque. 

Indian  Monkeys.  Many  stories  are  told  of  the  audacity  of 
the  Indian  monkeys  in  which  those  of  the  genus  macacus 
come  in  for  more  than  honourable  mention.  Whether  in 
their  native  haunts,  or  in  European  menageries,  they  are  an 


26  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

endless  source  of  amusement  and  not  unfrequently  one  of 
annoyance.  In  their  free  state,  they  tax  the  ingenuity  oi 
native  and  European  alike  by  their  mischievous  habits  and 
thievish  propensities.  They  climb  upon  the  tops  of  the 
Bazaars  and  the  slightest  relapse  from  vigilance  on  the  part  of 
the  shopkeepers  is  sure  to  be  followed  by  the  loss  or  spoliation 
of  their  wares.  A  common  defence  against  these  unwelcome 
intruders  is  to  cover  the  roofs  with  a  certain  prickly  shrub, 
the  thorns  of  which  command  respect  even  from  monkeys. 
Mrs.  Bowdich  says :  "  In  some  places  they  are  even  fed, 
encouraged,  and  allowed  to  live  on  the  roofs  of  houses ; " 
but  this  would  be  where  the  goods  of  the  householder  were 
beyond  their  reach.  "  If  a  man  wishes  to  revenge  himself 
for  any  injury  committed  upon  him,"  says  Mrs.  Bowdich, 
"he  has  only  to  sprinkle  some  rice  or  corn  upon  the  top 
of  his  enemy's  house  or  granary  just  before  the  rain  sets  in, 
and  the  monkeys  will  assemble  upon  it,  eat  all  they  can 
find  outside,  and  then  pull  off  the  tiles  to  get  at  that  which 
has  fallen  through  the  crevices.  This,  of  course,  gives 
access  to  the  torrents  which  fall  in  such  countries,  and 
house,  furniture  and  stores  are  all  ruined."  Quoting  from 
another  writer,  Mrs.  Bowdich  gives  an  amusing  description 
of  the  way  in  which  one  of  these  monkeys  watched  his 
opportunity  for  making  his  descent  upon  a  sweet-stuff  shop. 
Taking  up  a  position  opposite  the  shop,  "  he  pretended  to  be 
asleep,  but  every  now  and  then  softly  raised  his  head  to 
look  at  the  tempting  piles  and  the  owner  of  them,  who  sat 
smoking  his  pipe  without  symptoms  even  of  a  doze.  In 
half  an  hour  the  monkey  got  up,  as  if  he  were  just  awake, 
yawned,  stretched  himself,  and  took  another  position  a  few 
yards  off,  where  he  pretended  to  play  with  his  tail,  occa- 
sionally looking  over  his  shoulder  at  the  coveted  delicacies. 
At  length  the  shopman  gave  signs  of  activity,  and  the 
monkey  was  on  the  alert;  the  man  went  to  his  back  room, 
the  monkey  cleared  the  street  at  one  bound,  and  in  an 


THE  INDIAN   MONKEYS.  2^ 

instant  stuffed  his  pouches  full  of  the  delicious  morsels.  He 
had,  however,  overlooked  some  hornets,  which  were  regaling 
themselves  at  the  same  time.  They  resented  his  disturbance, 
and  the  tormented  monkey,  in  his  hurry  to  escape,  came  upon 
a  thorn-covered  roof,  where  he  lay  stung,  torn,  and  bleeding. 
He  spurted  the  stolen  bonbons  from  his  pouches  and  barked 
hoarsely  looking  the  picture  of  misery.  The  noise  of  the 
tiles  which  he  had  dislodged  in  his  retreat  brought  out  the 
inhabitants,  and  among  them  the  vendor  of  the  sweets,  with 
his  turban  unwound,  and  streaming  two  yards  behind  him. 
All  joined  in  laughing  at  the  wretched  monkey;  but  their 
religious  reverence  for  him  induced  them  to  go  to  his 
assistance:  they  picked  out  his  thorns  and  he  limped  away 
to  the  woods  quite  crestfallen." 
The  Monkey  The  writer,  from  whom  Mrs.  Bowdich  quoted 

Outdone,  the  above  story,  gives  a  graphic  account  of  the 
success  of  a  stratagem  he  employed  to  rid  himself  of  the 
unwelcome  visits  of  his  monkey  friends.  "Although,"  says 
he,  "a  good  deal  shyer  of  me  than  they  were  of  the  natives, 
I  found  no  difficulty  in  getting  within  a  few  yards  of  them ; 
and  when  I  lay  still  among  the  brushwood  they  gambolled 
round  me  with  as  much  freedom  as  if  I  had  been  one  of 
themselves.  This  happy  understanding,  however,  did  not 
last  long,  and  we  soon  began  to  urge  war  upon  each  other. 
The  casus  belli  was  a  field  of  sugar-cane  which  I  had 
planted  on  the  newly  cleared  jungle. 

"Every  beast  of  the  field  seemed  leagued  against  this 
devoted  patch  of  sugar-cane.  The  wild  elephants  came  and 
browzed  in  it;  the  jungle  hogs  rooted  it  up,  and  munched 
it  at  their  leisure ;  the  jackals  gnawed  the  stalks  into  squash ; 
and  the  wild  deer  ate  the  tops  of  the  young  plants.  Against 
all  these  marauders  there  was  an  obvious  remedy, — to  build 
a  stout  fence  round  the  cane-field.  This  was  done  accord- 
ingly; and  a  deep  trench  dug  outside,  that  even  the  wild 
elephant  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  cross.  The  wild  hogs 


28  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

came  and  inspected  the  trench  and  the  palisades  beyond. 
A  bristly  old  tusker  was  observed  taking  a  survey  of  the 
defences;  but,  after  mature  deliberation,  he  gave  two  short 
grunts,  the  porcine  (language),  I  imagined,  for  'No  go,'  and 
took  himself  off  at  a  round  trot,  to  pay  a  visit  to  my  neigh- 
bour Ram  Chunder,  and  inquire  how  his  little  plot  of  sweet 
yams  was  coming  on.  The  jackals  sniffed  at  every  crevice, 
and  determined  to  wait  a  bit;  but  the  monkeys  laughed  the 
whole  entrenchment  to  scorn.  Day  after  day  was  I  doomed 
to  behold  my  canes  devoured  as  fast  as  they  ripened,  by 
troops  of  jubilant  monkeys.  It  was  of  no  use  attempting  to 
drive  them  away.  When  disturbed,  they  merely  retreated 
to  the  nearest  tree,  dragging  whole  stalks  of  sugar-cane  along 
with  them,  and  then  spurted  the  chewed  fragments  in  my 
face,  as  I  looked  up  at  them.  This  was  adding  insult  to 
injury;  and  I  positively  began  to  grow  bloodthirsty  at  the 
idea  of  being  outwitted  by  monkeys.  The  case  between  us 
might  have  been  stated  in  this  way.  'I  have,  at  much 
trouble  and  expense,  cleared  and  cultivated  this  jungle  land,' 
said  I.  'More  fool  you,'  said  the  monkeys.  'I  have 
planted  and  watched  over  these  sugar-canes.'  'Watched! 
Ah,  ah!  so  have  we,  for  the  matter  of  that.'  'But  surely 
I  have  a  right  to  reap  what  I  sowed.'  'Don't  see  it,'  said 
the  monkeys;  'the  jungle,  by  rights  prescriptive  and  indefeas- 
ible, is  ours,  and  has  been  so  ever  since  the  days  of  Ram 
Hanuman  of  the  long  tail.  If  you  cultivate  the  jungle  with- 
out our  consent,  you  must  look  to  the  consequences.  If  you 
don't  like  our  customs,  you  may  get  about  your  business. 
We  don't  want  you.'  I  kept  brooding  over  this  mortifying 
view  of  the  matter,  until  one  morning  I  hatched  revenge  in 
a  practicable  shape.  A  tree,  with  about  a  score  of  monkeys 
on  it,  was  cut  down,  and  half  a  dozen  of  the  youngest  were 
caught  as  they  attempted  to  escape.  A  large  pot  of  ghow 
(treacle)  was  then  mixed  with  as  much  tarter  emetic  as  could 
be  spared  from  the  medicine  chest,  and  the  young  hopefuls 


THE   INDIAN  MONKEYS.  29 

after  being  carefully  painted  over  with  the  compound,  were 
allowed  to  return  to  their  distressed  relatives,  who,  as  soon 
as  they  arrived,  gathered  round  them  and  commenced  licking 
them  with  the  greatest  assiduity.  The  results  I  had  anticipated 
were  not  long  in  making  their  appearance.  A  more  melan- 
choly sight  it  was  impossible  to  behold;  but  so  efficacious 
was  this  treatment,  that  for  more  than  two  years  I  hardly 
ever  saw  a  monkey  in  the  neighbourhood." 
The  Monkey  Tavernier  was  once  travelling  from  Agra  to 
Aroused.  Surat  with  the  English  president,  when  passing 
within  a  few  miles  of  Amenabad  through  a  forest  of  mangoes, 
they  experienced  the  danger  of  provoking  such  companies.  He 
says.  "We  saw  a  vast  number  of  very  large  apes,  male  and 
female,  many  of  the  latter  having  their  young  in  their  arms.  We 
were  each  of  us  in  our  coaches;  and  the  English  president 
stopped  his  to  tell  me  that  he  had  a  very  fine  new  gun;  and 
knowing  that  I  was  a  good  marksman,  desired  me  to  try  it, 
by  shooting  one  of  the  apes.  One  of  my  servants,  who  was 
a  native  of  the  country,  made  a  sign  to  me  not  to  do  it; 
and  I  did  all  that  was  in  my  power  to  dissuade  the  gentle- 
man from  his  design,  but  to  no  purpose ;  for  he  immediately 
levelled  his  piece,  and  shot  a  she  ape,  who  fell  through  the 
branches  of  the  tree  on  which  she  was  sitting,  her  young  ones 
tumbling  at  the  same  time  out  of  her  arms  on  the  ground. 
We  presently  saw  that  happen  which  my  servant  apprehended; 
for  all  the  apes,  to  the  number  of  sixty,  came  immediately 
down  from  the  trees,  and  attacked  the  president's  coach  with 
such  fury  that  they  must  infallibly  have  destroyed  him  if 
all  who  were  present  had  not  flown  to  his  relief,  and  by 
drawing  up  the  windows,  and  posting  all  the  servants  about 
the  coach,  protected  him  from  their  resentment."  That 
diplomacy  is  better  than  war  in  dealing  with  bands  of  mon- 
keys is  shown  by  comparing  the  results  of  the  foregoing 
experiences. 


30  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  Monkeys'  That  monkeys  are  capable  of  very  poignant 
Affection,  feeling  is  shown  by  the  following  pathetic  story. 
Mr.  Forbes,  in  his  "Oriental  Memoirs,"  says: — "On  a  shoot- 
ing party  one  of  my  friends  killed  a  female  monkey,  and 
carried  it  to  his  tent,  which  was  soon  surrounded  by  forty  or 
fifty  of  the  tribe,  who  made  a  great  noise,  and  in  a  menacing 
posture  advanced  towards  it.  On  presenting  his  fowling-piece 
they  retreated,  but  one  stood  his  ground,  chattering  and 
menacing  in  a  furious  manner.  He  at  length  came  close  to 
the  tent  door,  and  finding  that  his  threatenings  were  of  no 
avail,  began  a  lamentable  moaning,  and  by  every  expression 
of  grief  and  supplication  seemed  to  beg  the  body  of  the 
deceased.  On  this  it  was  given  to  him.  He  took  it  up  in 
his  arms,  eagerly  pressed  it  to  his  bosom,  and  carried  it  ofi 
in  a  sort  of  triumph  to  his  expecting  companions.  The  artless 
behaviour  of  this  poor  animal  wrought  so  powerfully  on  the 
sportsmen  that  they  resolved  never  more  to  level  a  gun  at 
one  of  the  monkey  tribe." 

American  To  visit  the  family  of  the  Cebidae  we  have  to 
Monkeys.  cross  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  here  we  find 
characteristics  with  which  the  monkeys  of  the  East  are  un- 
familiar, while  we  miss  others  which  are  common  to  the 
monkeys  of  the  old  world.  In  passing  from  East  to  West 
we  lose  the  cheek-pouch  characteristic  and  we  find  that  of 
the  prehensile  tail.  There  are  more  than  eighty  species  in 
the  family  of  the  Cebidae,  divided  into  ten  genera  and  grouped 
in  four  sub-families.  The  first  of  the  sub-families  includes 
the  monkeys  with  prehensile  tails. 

The  Capuchin    The    capuchins    belong   to   the   genus    Cebtis 

Monkey,     which  includes  the  majority  of  American  monkeys. 

There  are  a  number  of  species  of  which  the  Brown  Capuchin 

(Brazil),  the  Wheeper  Capuchin  (Brazil),  and  the  White-throated 

Capuchin  (Central  America)  are  the  best  known. 

The  Spider       The  Spider  Monkey  is  of  the  genus  Aides  and 

Monkeys.    js  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  Cebidae  family. 


THE  AMERICAN    MONKEYS.  31 

In  it  the  prehensile  tail  reaches  its  perfection.  It  is  a 
remarkably  sensitive  organ,  answering  the  purpose,  as  the  Rev. 
J.  G.  Wood  puts  it,  of  "a  fifth  hand,"  being  capable  of  use 
"for  any  purpose  to  which  the  hand  could  be  applied,"  and 
for  hooking  out  objects  from  places  "where  a  hand  could 
not  be  inserted."  According  to  Mr.  Wood  they  wrap  their 
tails  about  them  to  protect  themselves  from  cold,  to  which 
they  are  very  sensitive,  and  hold  on  by  them  to  the  branches 
of  trees  with  such  tenacity  that  they  remain  suspended  after 
death.  The  prehensile  part  of  the  tail  is  naked  and  of 
extreme  sensibility.  The  tail  is  also  used  to  preserve  balance 
when  walking  erect,  for  which  purpose  it  is  thrown  up  and 
curled  over.  The  appearance  of  these  monkeys,  as  they  leap 
from  branch  to  branch  in  their  native  woods,  swinging  by 
their  tails,  and  often  hanging  on  to  those  of  each  other,  until 
a  living  bridge  is  formed  from  tree  to  tree,  is  exceedingly 
picturesque. 

The  Howling  The  Howling  Monkeys  form  the  single  genus 
Monkeys.  of  the  second  sub-family  of  the  Cebidae — the 
genus  Mycetes.  There  are  a  number  of  species,  popularly 
known  as  the  "Golden  Howler,"  the  "Black  Howler,"  &c.  &c. 
They  are  chiefly  characteristic  for  the  attribute  to  which  they 
owe  their  name.  The  howl  is  a  loud  mournful  cry  which 
can  be  heard  at  a  great  distance,  and  is  said  by  Wallace  to 
proceed  from  the  leader  of  the  band  who  howls  for  the  whole 
company.  These  animals  are  larger  and  more  clumsy  than 
the  spider  monkeys  and  therefore  less  agile ;  they  have  powerful, 
prehensile  tails.  The  "  Howler  "is  much  prized  by  the  Indians 
as  an  article  of  food. 

The  Bearded  The  third  sub-family  of  the  Cebidse  includes 
Sakl.  some  dozen  species  which  inhabit  the  forests  of 
Equatorial  America.  They  are  of  the  genus  Pitheciay  and 
some  species  have  broad  beards  and  bushy  tails.  The  head 
of  t\e  Bearde,1  Saki  (Pitheda  Satanas)  has  a  singularly 
human  appearance. 


32  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  The  fourth  sub-family  of  the  Cebidae  includes 

Douroucouli.  several  genera  and  a  number  of  species,  of  these 
the  Douroucouli  (Nyctipithecus  felinus)  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting.  It  is  a  small  monkey,  measuring  only  thirteen 
inches,  apart  from  its  tail,  which  is  eighteen  inches  long: 
It  is  catlike  in  some  of  its  habits,  sleeping  during  the  day, 
and  prowling  about  at  night  in  search  of  food,  which  it 
finds  in  fruits,  insects  and  small  birds.  It  has  a  catlike 
mew,  though  it  often  makes  a  louder  cry  more  resembling 
the  noise  of  the  jaguar. 

The  Marmosets.  The  fifth  family  of  the  quadrumana  com- 
prises the  marmosets,  of  which  there  are  two  genera — the 
Hapale  and  the  Midas,  These  'are  very  small,  measuring 
about  eight  inches  without  the  tail,  which  is  eleven  inches 
long.  The  marmoset  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  monkeys, 
and,  though  at  first  shy,  soon  becomes  playful  and  affection- 
ate. Marmosets  are  one  of  the  few  species  that  breed  in 
confinement.  Sir  William  Jardine  describes  a  marmoset  who 
gave  birth  to  three  offspring  in  Paris.  One  of  these,  for 
some  reason,  displeased  her,  and  she  killed  it,  but  upon  the 
others  beginning  to  suck  the  maternal  instinct  awoke,  and 
she  became  as  affectionate  as  she  was  before  careless.  "  The 
male  seemed  more  affectionate  and  careful  of  them  than  the 
mother,  and  assisted  in  the  charge.  The  young  generally 
keep  upon  the  back  or  under  the  belly  of  the  female,  and 
Cuvier  observed,  that  when  the  female  was  tired  of  carrying 
them,  she  would  approach  the  male  with  a  shrill  cry,  who 
immediately  relieved  her  with  his  hands,  placing  them  upon 
his  back,  or  under  his  belly,  where  they  held  themselves 
and  were  carried  about  until  they  became  restless  for  milk, 
when  they  were  given  over  to  the  mother  who,  in  her  turn, 
would  again  endeavour  to  get  rid  of  them." 

SUB-ORDER  n.     The  lemurs  and  their  allied  forms  make  up 

The  Lemurs,    the    remaining    families   of   "ne   quadrutTiana. 

These    are   three.     The  Ltmuridce,  of  which  there  are  inany 


THE   LEMURS.  33 

species,  most  of  which  belong  to  Madagascar,  others  to  Africa, 
Asia,  and  the  Indian  Archipelago ;  the  Tarsidce,  which  hail  from 
Sumatra  and  Borneo;  and  the  Chiromyidce,  of  which  the  aye- 
aye  is  the  representative.  The  Lcmuridce  are  divided  into 
four  sub-families  by  Professor  Mivart.  I,  the  Indri ;  II,  the 
true  Lemurs;  III,  the  slow  Lemurs  and  IV,  the  Galagos. 
The  lemur  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits  and  noiseless  in  its 
movements.  Some  of  its  species  much  resemble  the  cat  in 
appearance  though  its  four  hands  unmistakably  demonstrate 
its  order.  Sir  William  Jones  describes  a  Slow  Lemur  (Nycticebus 
tardtgradtis),  which  he  had  in  his  possession,  as  "gentle  ex- 
cept in  the  cold  season,  when  his  temper  seemed  wholly 
changed."  This  animal  expressed  great  resentment  when 
disturbed  unseasonably.  From  half  an  hour  after  sunrise  to 
half  an  hour  before  sunset  he  slept  without  any  intermission, 
rolled  up  like  a  hedgehog:  and  as  soon  as  he  awoke  he 
began  to  prepare  himself  for  the  occupations  of  his  approach- 
ing day,  licking  and  dressing  himself  like  a  cat — an  operation 
which  the  flexibility  of  his  neck  and  limbs  enabled  him  to 
perform  very  completely.  He  was  then  ready  for  a  slight 
breakfast,  after  which  he  commonly  took  a  short  nap;  but 
when  the  sun  was  quite  set  he  recovered  all  his  vivacity. 
"  Generally  he  was  not  voracious,  but  of  grasshoppers  he  never 
could  have  enough;  and  passed  the  whole  night  during  the 
hot  season  in  prowling  for  them.  He  used  all  his  paws 
indifferently  as  hands."  Mrs.  Bowdich  tells  of  one  of  these 
animals,  procured  by  Mr.  Baird  at  Prince  of  Wales  Island, 
who  shared  a  cage  with  a  dog  to  whom  he  became  greatly 
attached,  while  nothing  could  reconcile  him  to  a  cat,  which 
constantly  jumped  over  his  back,  causing  him  great  annoyance. 

The  Tarsier.  The  tarsier  (Tarsius  spectrum)  is  a  small,  kitten- 
faced  animal  with  long  hind  legs,  which  enable  it  to  leap 
like  a  frog.  It  is  nocturnal  in  habit,  and  is  found  in  Sumatra, 
Borneo,  and  elsewhere. 

The  Aye-Aye.    The    aye-aye  (Chiromys   madagascariensis)  is 

3 


34  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

a  remarkable  little  animal  resembling,  as  Professor  Owen  says, 
in  size  and  shape  the  domestic  cat,  its  head  and  ears  being 
larger,  and  its  hind  legs  and  tail  longer  than  those  of  the 
cat.  Dr.  Sandwich,  writing  of  one  he  had  in  his  possession, 
says: — "The  thick  sticks  I  put  into  his  cage  were  bored  in 
all  directions  by  a  large  and  destructive  grub,  called  the 
montouk.  Just  at  sunset  the  aye-aye  crept  from  under  his 
blanket,  yawned,  stretched  and  betook  himself  to  his  tree. 
Presently  he  came  to  one  of  the  worm-eaten  branches,  which 
he  began  to  examine  most  attentively,  and  bending  forward 
his  ears,  and  applying  his  nose  close  to  the  bark,  he  rapidly 
tapped  the  surface  with  the  curious  second  digit,  as  a  wood- 
pecker taps  a  tree,  though  with  much  less  noise,  from  time 
to  time  inserting  the  end  of  the  slender  finger  into  the 
worm-holes  as  a  surgeon  would  a  probe.  At  length  he  came 
to  a  part  of  the  branch  which  evidently  gave  out  an  inter- 
esting sound,  for  he  began  to  tear  it  with  his  strong  teeth. 
He  rapidly  stripped  off  the  bark,  cut  into  the  wood,  and 
exposed  the  nest  of  a  grub  which  he  daintily  picked  out  of 
its  bed,  with  the  slender,  tapping  finger,  and  conveyed  the 
luscious  morsel  to  his  mouth.  But  I  was  yet  to  learn  another 
peculiarity.  I  gave  him  water  to  drink  in  a  saucer,  on  which 
he  stretched  out  his  hand,  dipped  a  finger  into  it  and  drew 
it  obliquely  through  his  open  mouth.  After  a  while  he  lapped 
like  a  cat,  but  his  first  mode  of  drinking  appeared  to  me  to 
be  his  way  of  reaching  water  in  the  deep  clefts  of  trees." 
ORDER  II  The  animals  which  most  nearly  resemble  the 
Wing-Handed  four-handed  animals  or  quadrumana  are  the 
Animals.  wing-handed  animals, — the  bats  or  Cheiroptera. 
These  are  of  singular  appearence  and  interesting  habit.  "If," 
says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  "  the  fingers  of  a  man  were  to  be 
drawn  out  like  wire  to  about  four  feet  in  length,  a  thin 
membrane  to  extend  from  finger  to  finger,  and  another 
membrane  to  fall  from  the  little  finger  to  the  ankles,  he 
would  make  a  very  tolerable  imitation  of  a  bat." — Of  course, 


'late  No.  2 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  BATS.  35 

it  should  be  added,  making  allowance  for  proportion,  the 
full  grown  male  bat,  of  the  largest  species,  rarely  exceeding 
twelve  inches  in  height  from  head  to  foot.  Bats'  wings  are 
highly  nervous  and  sensitive,  so  much  so  as  to  render  their 
owners  almost  independent  of  sight.  Besides  being  "well 
adapted  for  flight,"  says  Dr.  Percival  Wright,  "they  are  still 
capable  in  a  small  measure  of  seizing,  differing  thus  from 
the  anterior  limbs  of  Birds." 

Bats.  Dr.  Dobson  divides  the  order  Cheiroptera  into 
two  sub-orders :  I,  The  Great  Bats  and  II,  The  Smaller  Bats. 
Of  these  there  are  numerous  genera  and  a  large  number  of 
species.  THE  GREAT  BATS  abound  in  the  tropical  and  sub- 
tropical regions  of  the  East,  where  they  live  on  fruit,  and 
from  this  circumstance  are  classified  as  "fruit-eating  bats," 
though  they  are  sometimes  called  "  flying-foxes."  The  largest 
of  these  inhabit  Sumatra  and  Java,  living  in  large  companies, 
sleeping  by  day  and  foraging  by  night.  A  large  tree  serves 
them  for  a  sleeping-chamber,  where,  suspending  themselves 
head  downwards  from  the  branches,  they  wrap  their  wings 
about  them  in  lieu  of  blankets  and  sleep  out  the  sunshine. 
After  sunset  they  gradually  awake  and  proceed  to  ravage 
any  fruit  preserves  which  may  be  within  reach,  committing 
serious  depredations  while  the  owners  outsleep  the  moon. 
According  to  Mr.  Francis  Day,  "they  do  very  great  injury 
to  cocoa-nut  plantations  and  mangoe  gardens."  "Their 
habits,"  says  Mr.  Day,  "are  very  intemperate,  and  they  often 
pass  the  night  drinking  the  toddy  from  the  chatties  in  the 
cocoa-nut  trees,  which  results  either  in  their  returning  home 
in  the  early  morning  in  a  state  of  extreme  and  riotous 
intoxication,  or  in  being  found  the  next  day  at  the  foot  of 
the  trees,  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  their  midnight  debauch." 
THE  SMALLER  BATS  include  several  families,  numerous  genera, 
and  a  large  number  of  species  to  be  found  in  almost  all 
parts  of  the  world.  These  bats  are  chiefly  insect-eaters, 
though  included  among  them  are  the  vampire  bats  and  the 


}6  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

Megaderma  lyra  which  have  the  reputation  of  being  cannibalistic. 
The  various  families  are  "The  Horseshoe  Bats,"  "The 
Nycteridae,"  "The  Vespertilionidae,"  "The  Emballonuridae," 
and  "The  Phyllostomidae. 

Tlie  The    common    English    bats   belong   to   the 

Common      Vespertilionidae.      The    Pipistrelle    feeds    upon 

Englis    Ba  s.   msects   but   WJH  eat  flesh  jf  opportunity  serves. 

In  his  "Natural  History  of  Selbourne,"  Mr.  White  describes 
a  tame  bat  which  he  saw,  which  would  take  flies  out  of  a 
person's  hand.  "If  you  gave  it  anything  to  eat,"  he  says, 
"it  brought  its  wings  round  before  the  mouth,  hovering  and 
hiding  its  head  in  the  manner  of  birds  of  prey  when  they 
feed.  The  adroitness  it  showed  in  shearing  off  the  wings 
of  the  flies,  which  were  always  rejected,  pleased  me  much. 
Insects  seemed  to  be  most  acceptable,  though  it  did  not 
refuse  raw  flesh  when  offered;  so  that  the  notion  that  bats 
go  down  chimneys  and  gnaw  men's  bacon  seems  no  improbable 
story."  The  Long-eared  Bat,  Plecotus  auritus,  is  also  common 
in  England.  "Its  ears,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  " are  about  an  inch 
and  a  half  in  length  and  have  a  fold  in  them  reaching  almost 
to  the  lips,"  hence  its  name.  "  It  is  very  easily  tamed." 

IJI^Q  The    Vampire    Bat   which    belongs    to    South 

Vampire  America  has  been  invested  with  a  halo  of  romance 
at'  by  the  stories  which  have  been  told  about  its 
sanguinary  character.  "It  lives,"  says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood, 
"  on  the  blood  of  animals,  and  sucks  usually  while  its  victim 
sleeps.  The  extremities,  where  the  blood  flows  freely,  as  the 
toe  of  a  man,  the  ears  of  a  horse,  or  the  combs  and  wattles 
of  fowls,  are  its  favourite  spots.  When  it  has  selected  a 
subject,  on  which  it  intends  to  feed,  it  watches  until  the 
animal  is  fairly  asleep.  It  then  carefully  fans  its  victim  with 
its  wings  while  it  bites  a  little  hole  in  the  ear  or  shoulder, 
and  through  this  small  aperture,  into  which  a  pin's  head 
would  scarcely  pass,  it  contrives  to  abstract  sufficient  blood 
to  make  a  very  ample  meal.  The  wound  is  so  small,  and 


THE  BATS.  37 

the  bat  manages  so  adroitly,  that  the  victim  does  not  discover 
that  anything  has  happened  until  the  morning,  when  a  pool 
of  blood  betrays  the  visit  of  the  vampire.  "The  Vampire 
Bat,"  says  Professor  Darwin,  "is  often  the  cause  of  much 
trouble  by  biting  the  horses  on  their  withers.  The  injury 
is  not  so  much  owing  to  the  loss  of  blood,  as  to  the  inflammation 
which  the  pressure  of  the  saddle  afterwards  produces.  The 
whole  circumstance  has  lately  been  doubted  in  England.  I 
was  therefore  fortunate  in  being  present  when  one  was  actually 
caught  on  a  horse's  back.  We  were  bivouacking  late  one 
evening,  near  Coquimbo,  in  Chili,  when  my  servant,  noticing 
that  one  of  the  horses  was  very  restive,  went  to  see  what  was 
the  matter,  and  fancying  he  could  distinguish  something, 
suddenly  put  his  hand  on  the  beast's  withers,  and  secured 
the  vampire.  In  the  morning  the  spot  where  the  bite  had 
been  inflicted  was  easily  distinguished  by  its  being  slightly 
swollen  and  bloody.  The  third  day  afterwards  we  rode  the 
horse  without  any  ill  effects." 

A  Traveller's  Captain  Steadman,  in  his  "  Narrative  of  a  Five 
Experience.  Years'  Expedition  against  the  Revolted  Negroes 
of  Surinam, "  relates,  that  on  waking  about  four  o'clock  one 
morning  in  his  hammock,  he  was  extremely  alarmed  at  finding 
himself  weltering  in  congealed  blood,  and  without  feeling  any 
pain  whatever.  "  The  mystery  was,"  continues  Captain  Stead- 
man, "that  I  had  been  bitten  by  the  Vampyre  or  Spectre  of 
Guiana,  which  is  also  called  the  Flying  Dog  of  New  Spain, 
and  by  the  Spaniards,  Perrovolador.  This  is  no  other  than 
a  bat  of  monstrous  size,  that  sucks  the  blood  from  men  and 
cattle  while  they  are  fast  asleep,  even  sometimes  till  they  die ; 
and  as  the  manner  in  which  they  proceed  is  truly  wonderful, 
I  shall  endeavour  to  give  a  distinct  account  of  it.  Knowing, 
by  instinct,  that  the  person  they  intend  to  attack  is  in  a 
sound  slumber,  they  generally  alight  near  the  feet,  where, 
while  the  creature  continues  fanning  with  his  enormous  wings, 
which  keeps  one  cool,  he  bites  a  piece  out  of  the  tip  of  the 


38  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

great  toe,  so  very  small,  indeed,  that  the  head  of  a  pin  could 
scarcely  be  received  into  the  wound,  which  is  consequently 
not  painful;  yet  through  this  orifice  he  continues  to  suck  the 
blood  until  he  is  obliged  to  disgorge.  Cattle  they  generally 
bite  in  the  ear,  but  always  in  places  where  the  blood  flows 
spontaneously." 

Megadenna  The  Vampire  Bat  of  South  America  has  long 
Lyra.  been  credited  with  sanguinivorous  habits,  and 
until  recently  was  supposed  to  be  the  only  bat  having  such 
propensities.  Mr.  Edward  Blyth  has,  however,  shown  that 
the  Megaderma  Lyra  of  Asia  will  sometimes  prey  upon  the 
smaller  species  of  bat  with  which  it  comes  in  contact.  Mr. 
Biyth,  one  evening,  observed  a  rather  large  bat  of  this  species 
enter  an  outhouse,  whereupon  he  procured  a  light,  closed 
the  door  to  prevent  escape  and  then  proceeded  to  catch 
the  intruder.  In  the  chase  the  bat  dropped  what  Mr.  Blyth 
at  first  took  to  be  a  young  one,  but  which  proved  to  be 
a  small  Vespertilio  Bat,  "feeble  from  loss  of  blood,  which 
it  was  evident  the  Megaderma  had  been  sucking  from  a 
large,  and  still  bleeding,  wound  under  and  behind  the  ear." 
As  the  Megaderma  had  not  alighted  while  in  the  outhouse, 
Mr.  Blyth  concluded  "that  it  sucked  the  vital  current  from 
its  victim  as  it  flew,  having  probably  seized  it  on  the  wing, 
and  that  it  was  seeking  a  quiet  nook  where  it  might  devour 
the  body  at  leisure."  Having  caught  the  Megaderma  Mr. 
Blyth  kept  both  specimens  until  the  next  day,  and  having 
examined  each  separately  put  them  both  into  a  cage,  where- 
upon the  Megaderma  attacked  the  smaller  bat  "with  the 
ferocity  of  a  tiger" ;  finding  it  impossible  to  escape  the  cage 
"  it  hung  by  the  hind  legs  to  one  side  of  its  prison,  and  after 
sucking  the  victim  till  no  more  blood  was  left  commenced 
devouring  it,  and  soon  left  nothing  but  the  head  and  some 
portions  of  the  limbs."  "  The  voidings  observed  shortly 
afterwards  in  its  cage,"  says  Mr.  Blyth,  "resembled  clotted 
blood,  which  will  explain  the  statement  of  Steadman  and 


INSECT-EATING  ANIMALS.  39 

others  concerning  masses  of  congealed  blood  being  observed 
near  a  patient  who  has  been  attacked  by  a  South  American 
vampire." 

ORDER  III.  Insect-eating  animals  (Insectivora)  include 
Insect-Eating  several  families,  of  which  the  hedgehogs,  the 
Animals.  moles  and  the  shrews,  are  the  best  known  genera. 
The  Colugo  is  perhaps  the  most  singular  member  of  the 
order.  According  to  some  writers  his  proper  place  is  among 
the  lemurs,  and  except  that  his  feet  are  adorned  with 
claws  instead  of  nails,  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  he 
might  be  classed  with  the  quadrumana.  The  Colugo  is 
covered  from  head  to  foot  by  a  furry  membrane,  resembling 
an  overcoat  open  in  front  and  ending  in  a  three  cornered 
flap  at  the  tail. 

The  The  family  of  the  hedgehog  contains  two  genera 

Hedgehog.  an(j  a  number  of  species.  Its  length  is  from  six 
to  ten  inches ;  the  head,  back,  and  sides  being  covered  with 
short  spines,  the  under  parts  with  soft  hair.  It  lives  in 
thickets,  and  subsists  on  fruits,  roots,  and  insects.  During  the 
winter,  it  lies  imbedded  in  moss,  or  dried  leaves,  in  a  state  of 
torpidity.  It  inhabits  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa.  It  is  valuable 
in  the  garden  for  destroying  the  insects,  and  in  the  kitchen 
for  the  extermination  of  cockroaches,  beetles  and  other  house- 
hold pests.  For  defence,  it  rolls  itself  into  a  ball  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  present  its  prickly  spines  on  all  sides.  In  this 
condition  it  can  suffer  considerable  violence  without  injury. 
Mr.  Bell  mentions  a  hedgehog  that  was  in  the  habit  of 
running  to  the  edge  of  an  area  wall  twelve  or  fourteen  feet 
high,  and  without  a  moment's  pause,  leap  over,  contracting 
into  a  ball  as  he  fell,  and  in  this  form  reaching  the  ground, 
where  it  quietly  unfolded  itself  as  if  nothing  had  happened 
and  ran  on  its  way.  It  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits  and  in  its 
natural  state  lives  in  pairs.  It  is  easily  tamed.  A  hedgehog 
has  been  trained  to  serve  as  a  turnspit  "as  well,"  says  Captain 
Brown,  "in  all  respects  as  the  dog  of  that  denomination.  In 


40  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

a  wild  state  it  has  been  known  to  attack  and  kill  a  leveret. 
In  attacking  a  snake  it  will  roll  itself  up  between  its  bites  and 
thus  protect  itself  against  retaliation. 

The  Mole.  The  family  of  the  Talpidae  to  which  the  mole 
belongs  is  a  large  and  interesting  one.  The  common  mole 
"when  at  rest, "  says  the  author  of  "  Tales  of  Animals,"  "bears 
more  resemblance  to  a  small  stuffed  sack  than  to  a  living 
animal,  its  head  being  entirely  destitute  of  external  ears,  and 
elongated  nearly  to  a  point,  and  its  eyes  so  extremely  small 
and  completely  hidden  by  the  fur,  that  it  would  not  be  sur- 
prising should  a  casual  observer  conclude  it  to  be  blind.  This 
apparently  shapeless  mass  is  endowed  with  great  activity  and 
a  surprising  degree  of  strength,  and  is  excellently  suited  for 
deriving  enjoyment  from  the  peculiar  life  it  is  designed  to  lead. 
It  is  found  abundantly  in  Europe  and  North  America,  from 
Canada  to  Virginia ;  often  living  at  no  great  distance  from 
water-courses,  or  in  dykes  thrown  up  to  protect  meadows 
from  inundation.  The  mole  burrows  with  great  quickness, 
and  travels  under  ground  with  much  celerity ;  nothing  can  be 
better  constructed  for  this  purpose  than  its  broad  and  strong 
hands,  or  fore  paws,  armed  with  long  and  powerful  claws, 
which  are  very  sharp  at  their  extremities,  and  slightly  curved 
on  the  inside.  Numerous  galleries,  communicating  with  each 
other,  enable  the  mole  to  travel  in  various  directions,  without 
coming  to  the  surface,  which  they  appear  to  do  very  rarely, 
unless  their  progress  is  impeded  by  a  piece  of  ground  so  hard 
as  to  defy  their  strength  and  perseverance.  The  depth  of 
their  burrows  depends  very  materially  on  the  character  of 
the  soil,  and  the  situation  of  the  place ;  sometimes  running 
for  a  great  distance,  at  a  depth  of  from  one  to  three  inches, 
and  sometimes  much  deeper.  Moles  are  most  active  early 
in  the  morning,  at  midday,  and  in  the  evening;  after  rains 
they  are  particularly  busy  in  repairing  their  damaged  galleries; 
and  in  long  continued  wet  weather  we  find  that  they  seek 
the  high  grounds  for  security." 


THE  MOLE.  41 

An  Enterprising     Though  as  Captain  Brown  points  out  nothing 
Mole.  is  more  fatal  to  the  mole  than  excessive  rain, 

which  fills  their  subterranean  galleries  with  water;  the  follow- 
ing statement  made  by  Mr.  A.  Bruce  in  the  Linnaean  Trans- 
actions, shows  that  the  animal  is  not  without  enterprise  on 
the  water : — "  On  visiting  the  Loch  of  Clunie,  which  I  often 
did,  I  observed  in  it  a  small  island  at  the  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  yards  from  the  nearest  land,  measured 
to  be  so  upon  the  ice.  Upon  the  island,  the  Earl  of  Airly, 
the  proprietor,  has  a  castle  and  small  shrubbery.  I  remarked 
frequently  the  appearance  of  fresh  mole  casts,  or  hills.  I  for 
some  time  took  them  for  those  of  the  water  mouse,  and  one 
day  asked  the  gardener  if  it  was  so.  No,  said  he,  it  was 
the  mole ;  and  that  he  had  caught  one  or  two  lately.  Five 
or  six  years  ago,  he  caught  two  in  traps ;  and  for  two  years 
after  this  he  had  observed  none.  But,  about  four  years  ago, 
coming  ashore  one  summer's  evening  in  the  dusk,  with  the 
Earl  of  Airly's  butler,  they  saw  at  a  short  distance,  upon  the 
smooth  water,  some  animal  paddling  towards  the  island.  They 
soon  closed  with  this  feeble  passenger,  and  found  it  to  be 
the  common  mole,  led  by  a  most  astonishing  instinct  from 
the  castle  hill,  the  nearest  point  of  land,  to  take  possession 
of  this  desert  island.  It  had  been,  at  the  time  of  my  visit, 
for  the  space  of  two  years  quite  free  from  any  subterraneous 
inhabitant;  but  the  mole  has,  for  more  than  a  year  past, 
made  its  appearance  again,  and  its  operations  I  have  since 
been  witness  to." 

The  Use  of  The  use  of  the  mole  is  often  said  to  be  far 
the  Mole,  outweighed  by  the  mischief  he  perpetrates,  the 
truth  appearing  to  be  that  like  many  other  animals,  in  his 
own  place  he  is  valuable,  out  of  it  he  is  a  source  of  danger. 
Both  conditions  are  illustrated  by  the  following,  which  I  quote 
from  Mrs.  Bowdich's  "Anecdotes  of  Animals." 

"A  French  naturalist  of  the  name  of  Henri  Lecourt  devoted 
a  great  part  of  his  life  to  the  study  of  the  habits  and  struc- 


42  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

ture  of  moles ;  and  he  tells  us  that  they  will  run  as  fast  as  a 
horse  will  gallop.  By  his  observations  he  rendered  essential 
service  to  a  large  district  in  France;  for  he  discovered  that 
numbers  of  moles  had  undermined  the  banks  of  a  canal,  and 
that  unless  means  were  taken  to  prevent  the  catastrophe, 
these  banks  would  give  way,  and  inundation  would  ensue. 
By  his  ingenious  contrivances  and  accurate  knowledge  of  their 
habits,  he  contrived  to  extirpate  them  before  the  occurrence 
of  further  mischief.  Moles,  however,  are  said  to  be  excellent 
drainers  of  land ;  and  Mr.  Hogg,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd,  used 
to  declare  that  if  a  hundred  men  and  horses  were  employed 
to  dress  a  pasture  farm  of  1500  or  2000  acres,  they  would 
not  do  it  as  effectually  as  moles  would  do,  if  left  to  them- 
selves. " 

The  Shrew.  The  shrew  family  is  a  large  one  and  widely 
distributed  over  the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  common  shrew 
(Sorex  vulgaris)  is  that  best  known  in  England.  It  resembles 
the  mouse  in  general  form  and  varies  in  size  and  colour,  its  usual 
length,  including  the  tail  being  about  four  and  a  half  inches. 
Its  body  is  moderately  full,  its  neck  short,  its  head  tapering 
to  a  pointed  snout,  the  fore-feet  small,  the  hind-feet  larger 
and  the  tail  shorter  than  the  body.  The  shrew  is  generally 
found  either  in  burrows,  or  among  heaps  of  stones,  or  in 
holes  made  by  other  animals ;  near  dung  heaps  or  hayricks, 
they  are  more  numerous  than  elsewhere.  Insects  are  their 
principal  subsistence,  but  they  seem  no  less  fond  of  grain, 
and  show  a  pig's  predilection  for  filth  of  various  sorts.  Its 
principal  enemies  are  the  Kestrel  and  the  Barn  OwL  A 
superstition  to  the  effect  that  if  the  shrew  should  run  over 
the  legs  of  a  cow  or  a  horse  while  reposing  on  the  grass  it 
causes  lameness,  is  also  responsible  for  the  destruction  of  many 
by  ignorant  country  folk.  One  species  of  the  shrew  enjoys 
the  reputation  of  being  the  smallest  living  mammel;  it  is  but 
an  inch  and  a  half  long  with  a  tail  of  an  inch  in  length. 
The  water  shrew  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  common  shrew 


FLESH-EATING   ANIMALS.  43 

attaining  to  a  length  of  five  and  a  half  inches  including  the 
tail.     The  water  shrew  colonises  on  the  banks  of  rivers. 
ORDER  IV       ^e  or(^er  °f  flesh-eating  animals  (catnivora) 
Flesh-eating    includes  a  large  number  of  species  among  which 
Animals.       are   the  lion,   the   tiger  and   the  leopard,  as 
\\ell  as   the   cat   and    the    dog.     The   two    sub-orders    into 
which  this  order  is  divided  are :  I,  The  Fissipedia,  and  II,    The 
Pinnipedia.     The  Fissipedia  are  again  divided  into  ten  fami- 
lies;  lions,   cats,  dogs,  hyenas,  weasels,  and  bears  being  the 
most  important  members.     The  Pinnipedia  includes  the  seal, 
the  sea  lion,  the  walrus  and  their  allies. 

Animals   of  the  cat  kind  are  distinguished 

SUB-ORDER   I.  . 

The  Fissipedia.  bv  their  sharP  and  formidable  claws,  which 
Animals  of  the  they  can  hide  or  extend  at  pleasure.  They 
Cat  Kind.  are  remarkable  for  their  rapacity,  subsisting 
entirely  on  the  flesh  and  blood  of  other  animals.  The  dog, 
wolf,  and  bear,  are  sometimes  known  to  live  on  vegetables, 
or  farinaceous  food ;  but  the  lion,  the  tiger,  the  leopard,  and 
other  animals  of  this  class,  devour  nothing  but  flesh,  and 
would  starve  upon  any  other  provision.  They  lead  a  solitary, 
ravenous  life,  uniting  neither  for  mutual  defence,  like  vegetable 
feeders,  nor  for  mutual  support,  like  those  of  the  dog  kind. 
The  first  of  the  class  is  the  lion,  distinguished  from  all  the 
rest  by  his  strength,  his  magnitude,  and  his  mane.  The 
second  is  the  tiger,  rather  longer  than  the  lion,  but  not  so 
tall,  and  known  by  the  streaks  and  vivid  beauty  of  its  skin  ; 
here  we  may  also  mention  the  puma,  which  is  sometimes 
called  a  panther,  or  colloquially  a  "painter",  otherwise  a 
couguar,  or  American  lion,  which  is  of  a  tawny  colour.  The 
next  is  the  leopard,  sometimes  called  a  panther,  and  the  next 
the  jaguar,  followed  by  the  ounce,  not  so  large  as  any  of  the 
former,  spotted  like  them,  but  distinguished  by  the  cream- 
coloured  ground  of  its  hair,  and  a  tail  so  long  as  to  exceed 
the  length  of  its  body.  The  next  is  the  catamountain,  or 
tiger-cat,  less  than  the  ounce,  but  differing  particularly  in 


44  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

having  a  shorter  tail,  and  being  streaked  down  the  back  like 
a  tiger.  The  next  is  the  lynx,  of  the  size  of  a  fox,  with  its 
body  streaked,  and  the  tips  of  its  ears  tufted  with  black. 
Then  comes  the  Persian  lynx,  not  so  large  as  the  lynx,  nor 
mottled  like  it,  but  with  longer  ears,  tipped  also  with  black, 
and  the  serval,  shaped  and  streaked  like  the  lynx,  but  not 
having  the  tips  of  its  ears  tufted.  Lastly,  the  cat,  wild  and 
tame,  with  all  its  varieties ;  less  than  any  of  the  former,  but 
like  them  insidious,  rapacious,  and  cruel. 

The  Lion.  The  lion  is  known  as  the  King  of  Beasts; 
though  modern  travellers  have  done  much  to  rob  him  of 
the  homage  that  he  once  received.  Like  a  human  being 
who  has  been  too  much  lionized,  he  suffers  from  the  detrac- 
tions which  are  excited  by  his  pre-eminence.  He  is  found 
chiefly  in  India  and  Africa,  though  he  once  had  a  more 
extended  range.  He  was  well  known  to  the  Greeks,  and 
appears  in  both  their  poetry  and  history.  Homer  celebrates 
him,  and  according  to  Herodotus  he  exploited  himself  by 
attacking  the  camels  of  the  army  of  Xerxes.  His  noble 
appearance  is  said  to  be  responsible  for  the  popular  ideal  of 
his  character,  which  travellers  and  naturalists  declare  to  be 
minus  the  magnanimous  and  generous  qualities  with  which 
it  was  at  one  time  credited. 

The  Lion's  In  judging  of  the  lion's  character  it  is  import- 
Character.  ant  to  remember  that  he  belongs  to  the  cat  family, 
and  that  his  virtues  and  vices  are  naturally  of  the  cat  kind. 
"  The  lion  seldom  runs,"  says  the  author  of  "  Tales  of  Animals." 
"  He  either  walks  or  creeps,  or,  for  a  short  distance,  advances 
rapidly  by  great  bounds.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  he 
must  seize  his  prey  by  stealth;  that  he  is  not  fatted  for  an 
open  attack;  and  that  his  character  is  necessarily  that  of 
great  power,  united  to  considerable  skill  and  cunning  in  its 
exercise."  Again,  the  lion,  as  well  as  others  of  the  cat 
tribe,  takes  his  prey  at  night;  and  it  is  necessary,  therefore, 
that  he  should  have  peculiar  organs  of  vision.  In  all  those 


MILES'    NATURAL  HISTORY 


CHEETAH 
( Gueparda  jubata ) 


THE  LION.  45 

animals  which  seek  their  food  in  the  dark,  the  eye  is  usually 
of  a  large  size,  to  admit  a  great  number  of  rays.  This 
peculiar  kind  of  eye,  therefore,  is  necessary  to  the  Lion  to 
perceive  his  prey,  and  he  creeps  towards  it  with  a  certainty 
which  nothing  but  this  distinct  nocturnal  vision  could  give." 
Men  who  hunt  the  lion  in  the  daytime,  when  he  is  usually 
sleeping  off  the  effects  of  a  hearty  meal,  and  who  awaken 
him  in  a  surprised  and  dazed  condition  when  his  cat-like  eyes 
cannot  bear  the  blaze  of  the  sun,  ought  not  to  be  surprised 
if  he  tries  to  postpone  fighting  until  a  more  convenient  season. 
Nor  can  he  be  said  to  be  less  noble  because  he  only  fights 
when  it  is  necessary  to  procure  food,  to  protect  his  young, 
and  to  defend  himself.  A  veritable  Ulysses  among  the 
beasts  he  is  ready  to  fight  if  needs  be,  but  unless  urged  by 
hunger,  or  attacked  by  the  hunter,  he  does  not  seem  to  bear 
any  particular  malice  against  mankind. 
The  Lion's  "  ^  *s  singular>"  says  Sparrman,  "  that  the  lion, 
Attitude  which,  according  to  many,  always  kills  his  prey 
towards  Man.  immediately  if  it  belongs  to  the  brute  creation, 
is  reported,  frequently,  although  provoked,  to  content  himself 
with  merely  wounding  the  human  species ;  or,  at  least,  to  wait 
some  time  before  he  gives  the  fatal  blow  to  the  unhappy 
victim  he  has  got  under  him.  A  farmer,  who  the  year 
before  had  the  misfortune  to  be  a  spectator  of  a  lion  seizing 
two  of  his  oxen,  at  the  very  instant  he  had  taken  them  out 
of  the  waggon,  told  me  that  they  immediately  fell  down 
dead  upon  the  spot,  close  to  each  other;  though,  upon 
examining  the  carcasses  afterwards,  it  appeared  that  their 
backs  only  had  been  broken.  In  several  places  through 
which  I  passed,  they  mentioned  to  me  by  name  a  father 
and  his  two  sons,  who  were  said  to  be  still  living,  and  who, 
being  on  foot  near  a  river  on  their  estate,  in  search  of  a 
lion,  this  latter  had  rushed  out  upon  them,  and  thrown  one 
of  them  under  his  feet.  The  two  others,  however,  had  time 
enough  to  shoot  the  lion  dead  upon  the  spot,  which  had 


46  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN    ANECDOTE. 

lain  almost  across  the  youth,  so  nearly  and  dearly  related 
to  them,  without  having  done  him  any  particular  hurt.  I 
myself  saw,  near  the  upper  part  of  Duyvenhoek  River,  an 
elderly  Hottentot  who,  at  that  time  (his  wounds  being  still 
open),  bore  under  one  eye,  and  underneath  his  cheek  bone 
the  ghastly  marks  of  the  bite  of  a  lion,  which  did  not  think 
it  worth  his  while  to  give  him  any  other  chastisement  for 
having,  together  with  his  master  (whom  I  also  knew),  and 
several  other  Christians,  hunted  him  with  great  intrepidity, 
though  without  success.  The  conversation  ran  everywhere 
in  this  part  of  the  country  upon  one  Bota,  a  farmer  and 
captain  in  the  militia,  who  had  lain  for  sometime  under  a 
lion,  and  had  received  several  bruises  from  the  beast,  having 
been  at  the  same  time  a  good  deal  bitten  by  him  in  one 
arm,  as  a  token  to  remember  him  by;  but,  upon  the  whole, 
had,  in  a  manner,  had  his  life  given  him  by  this  noble  animal. 
The  man  was  said  then  to  be  living  in  the  district  of  Artaquas- 
kloof." 

Discretion  the  ^e  f°M°wing  seems  to  show  a  curious  power 
better  part  of  of  reasoning  on  the  part  of  the  lion.  "  Diederik 
Valour.  Muller,  one  of  the  most  intrepid  and  successful 
of  modern  lion-hunters  in  South  Africa,  had,"  says  Sir 
William  Jardine,  "  been  out  alone  hunting  in  the  wilds,  when 
he  came  suddently  upon  a  lion,  which,  instead  of  giving  way, 
seemed  disposed,  from  the  angry  attitude  he  assumed,  to 
dispute  with  him  the  dominion  of  the  desert.  Diederik 
instantly  alighted,  and  confident  of  his  unerring  aim  levelled 
his  gun  at  the  forehead  of  the  lion,  who  was  couched  in  the 
act  to  spring,  within  fifteen  paces  of  him ;  but  at  the  moment 
the  hunter  fired,  his  horse,  whose  bridle  was  round  his 
arm,  started  back  and  caused  him  to  miss.  The  lion,  bounded 
forward,  but  stopped  within  a  few  paces,  confronting  Diederik 
who  stood  defenceless,  his  gun  discharged,  and  his  horse 
running  off.  The  man  and  the  beast  stood  looking  at  each 
other  in  the  face  for  a  short  space.  At  length  the  lion 


THE  LION.  47 

moved  backward  as  if  to  go  away.  Diederik  began  to  load 
his  gun,  the  lion  looked  over  his  shoulder,  growled,  and 
returned.  Diederik  stood  still.  The  lion  again  moved  cau- 
tiously off,  and  the  Boer  proceeded  to  load  and  ram  down 
his  bullet.  The  lion  again  looked  back  and  growled  angrily; 
and  this  occurred  repeatedly,  until  the  animal  had  got  off 
to  some  distance  when  he  took  fairly  to  his  heels  and 
bounded  away." 

The  strength  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  lion's  courage, 
of  the  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  his  strength.  Burchell 
Lion,  thus  describes  an  encounter  with  a  lion.  "The 
day  was  exceedingly  pleasant  and  not  a  cloud  was  to  be  seen. 
For  a  mile  or  two  we  travelled  along  the  banks  of  the  river, 
which  in  this  part  abounded  in  late  mat-rushes.  The  dogs 
seemed  much  to  enjoy  prowling  about  and  examining  every 
rushy  place,  and  at  last  met  with  some  object  among  the 
rushes  which  caused  them  to  set  up  a  most  vehement  and 
determined  barking.  We  explored  the  spot  with  caution  as 
we  suspected,  from  the  peculiar  tone  of  the  bark,  that  it  was 
what  it  proved  to  be — lions.  Having  encouraged  the  dogs  to 
drive  them  out,  a  task  which  they  performed  with  great 
willingness,  we  had  a  full  view  of  an  enormous  black-maned 
lion  and  lioness.  The  latter  was  seen  only  for  a  minute,  as 
she  made  her  escape  up  the  river  under  concealment  of  the 
rushes;  but  the  lion  came  steadily  forward,  and  stood  still 
and  looked  at  us.  At  this  moment  we  felt  our  situation  not 
free  from  danger,  as  the  animal  seemed  preparing  to  spring 
upon  us,  and  we  were  standing  on  the  bank,  at  a  distance 
of  only  a  few  yards  from  him,  most  of  us  being  on  foot, 
and  unarmed,  without  any  visible  possibility  of  escaping.  At 
this  instant  the  dogs  boldly  flew  in  between  us  and  the  lion, 
and  surrounding  him,  kept  him  at  bay  by  their  violent  and 
resolute  barking.  The  lion,  conscious  of  his  strength,  remained 
unmoved  at  their  noisy  attempts  and  kept  his  head  turned 
towards  us.  At  one  moment,  the  dogs  perceiving  his  eye 


48  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

thus  engaged,  had  advanced  close  to  his  feet,  and  seemed 
as  if  they  would  actually  seize  hold  of  him;  but  they  paid 
dearly  for  their  imprudence,  for,  without  discomposing  the 
majestic  and  steady  attitude  in  which  he  stood  fixed,  he 
merely  moved  his  paw,  and  the  next  instant  I  beheld  two 
lying  dead.  In  doing  this  he  made  so  little  exertion,  that  it 
was  scarcely  perceptible  by  what  means  they  had  been  killed. 
We  fired  upon  him,  and  one  of  the  balls  went  through  his 
side,  just  between  the  short  ribs,  but  the  animal  still  remained 
standing  in  the  same  position.  We  had  now  no  doubt  that 
he  would  spring  upon  us,  but  happily  we  were  mistaken  and 
were  not  sorry  to  see  him  move  slowly  away." 
The  Lion's  Many  instances  are  on  record  of  strong 
Affection,  attachments  formed  by  the  lion  for  his  keeper, 
and  for  dogs  or  other  animals  which  have  been  associated 
with  him.  A  remarkable  example  of  this  kind  is  related,  where 
a  little  dog,  which  had  been  thrown  into  a  lion's  den  that 
he  might  be  devoured,  was  not  only  spared  by  the  noble 
animal,  but  became  his  companion  and  favourite.  In  a 
moment  of  irritation  caused  by  long  hunger,  the  dog,  having 
snapped  at  the  first  morsels  of  food,  received  a  blow  from 
the  lion  which  proved  fatal.  From  that  time  the  lion 
pined  away,  refused  his  food,  and  at  length  died,  apparently 
of  melancholy. 

The  Lion's  A  carpenter  was  employed  some  years  ago  to 
Docility.  do  some  repairs  to  the  cage  of  a  lion  at  a 
menagerie  at  Brussels.  When  the  workman  saw  the  lion 
he  drew  back  in  terror.  The  keeper,  on  this,  entered  the 
cage  and  led  the  animal  to  the  upper  part  of  it,  while  the 
lower  was  refitting.  He  there  amused  himself  for  some  time 
playing  with  the  lion,  and  being  wearied  he  fell  asleep. 
The  carpenter,  having  finished  his  work,  called  the  keeper 
to  inspect  what  he  had  done,  but  the  keeper  made  no 
answer.  Having  repeatedly  called  in  vain  he  became  alarmed 
and  proceeded  to  the  upper  part  of  the  cage,  where,  looking 


THE  LION.  49 

through  the  bars,  he  saw  the  lion  and  the  keeper  lying  side 
by  side,  and  immediately  uttered  a  loud  cry.  The  lion 
started  up  and  stared  at  the  carpenter  with  an  eye  of  fury,  and 
then,  placing  his  paw  on  the  breast  of  his  keeper,  lay  down 
to  sleep  again.  The  carpenter,  terrified  at  what  he  saw,  ran 
off  to  secure  help,  whereupon  some  of  the  attendants  suc- 
ceeded in  arousing  the  keeper  who,  far  from  being  disconcerted 
by  the  circumstances,  took  the  paw  of  the  lion  and  shook 
it  gently  in  token  of  regard  and  the  animal  quietly  returned 
with  him  to  his  former  residence.  M.  Felix,  the  keeper  of 
the  animals  at  Paris,  had  charge  of  a  lion  which  refused 
food,  and  became  sullen  and  mopish  during  the  temporary 
absence  of  M.  Felix  through  illness,  but  who  regained  his 
spirits  and  showed  every  demonstration  of  joy  upon  the 
reappearance  of  M.  Felix  at  his  post  of  duty. 
The  story  of  With  so  many  authentic  instances  which  can 
Androdes.  be  cited  of  the  amenability  of  the  lion  to  kindly 
influences,  the  story  of  Androcles  and  the  lion  does  not  seem  so 
improbable  as  it  has  been  sometimes  thought.  The  following 
is  the  story : — In  the  days  of  ancient  Rome,  a  Roman  governor 
treated  one  of  his  slaves  or  subjects,  called  Androcles,  so 
cruelly  that  he  ran  away.  To  escape  pursuit  he  fled  to  a 
desert  and  crept  into  a  cave.  What  was  his  horror  to  find 
that  this  cave  was  a  lion's  den,  and  to  see  a  large  lion 
approach  him !  He  expected  instantly  to  be  destroyed ;  but 
the  lion,  approaching  Androcles,  held  up  his  paw  or  foot 
with  a  rmpplicating  air.  Androcles  examined  the  lion's  paw, 
and  found  a  thorn  in  it  which  he  drew  out,  and  the  lion, 
apparently  relieved,  fawned  upon  his  benefactor  as  a  dog 
does  upon  his  master.  After  some  time  Androcles  ventured 
back  to  the  place  where  he  lived  before.  He  was  discovered, 
taken  up  as  a  runaway  slave,  and  condemned  to  be  the  prey 
of  a  wild  beast.  He  was  accordingly  thrown  into  a  place 
where  a  large  lion,  recently  caught,  was  let  in  upon  him. 
The  lion  came  bounding  toward  Androcles,  and  the  spec- 

4 


50  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

tators  expected  to  see  the  man  instantly  torn  in  pieces.  What 
was  their  astonishment  to  see  the  lion  approach  him,  and 
fawn  before  him  like  a  dog  who  had  found  his  master!  It 
was  the  lion  Androcles  had  met  in  the  desert,  and  the 
grateful  animal  would  not  rend  his  benefactor. 

A  Lion  Hunt.  Livingstone  came  to  very  close  quarters  with 
a  lion  on  one  occasion,  the  circumstances  of  which  he  thus 
narrates.  "The  Bakatla  of  the  village  Mabotsa,  were  much 
troubled  by  lions,  which  leaped  into  the  cattle-pens  by  night 
and  destroyed  their  cows.  They  even  attacked  the  herds  in 
open  day.  This  was  so  unusual  an  occurrence  that  the  people 
believed  that  they  were  bewitched,  'given'  as  they  said, 
into  the  power  of  the  lions  by  a  neighbouring  tribe.  They 
went  once  to  attack  the  animals,  but  being  rather  a  cowardly 
people  compared  to  Bechuanas  in  general  on  such  occasions, 
they  returned  without  killing  any.  It  is  well  known  that  if 
one  in  a  troop  of  lions  is  killed,  the  others  take  the  hint 
and  leave  that  part  of  the  country.  So  the  next  time  the 
herds  were  attacked,  I  went  with  the  people  in  order  to 
encourage  them  to  rid  themselves  of  the  annoyance  by 
destroying  one  of  the  marauders.  We  found  the  lions  on 
a  small  hill,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length  and  covered 
with  trees.  A  circle  of  men  was  formed  round  it,  and  they 
gradually  closed  up,  ascending  pretty  near  to  each  other. 
Being  down  below  on  the  plain  with  a  native  schoolmaster, 
named  Mebalwe,  I  saw  one  of  the  lions  sitting  upon  a 
piece  of  rock,  within  the  now  closed  circle  of  men.  Mebalwe 
fired  at  him  before  I  could,  and  the  ball  struck  the  rock 
upon  which  the  animal  was  sitting.  He  bit  at  the  spot  struck, 
as  a  dog  does  at  a  stick  or  a  stone  thrown  at  him,  then, 
leaping  away,  broke  through  the  opening  circle  and  escaped 
unhurt.  When  the  circle  was  reformed  we  saw  two  other 
lions  in  it,  but  we  were  afraid  to  fire  lest  we  should  strike 
the  men ;  and  they  allowed  the  beasts  to  burst  through  also. 
If  the  Bakatla  had  acted  according  to  the  custom  of  the 


THE  LION.  51 

country,  they  would  have  speared  the  lions  in  their  attempt 
to  get  out.  Seeing  that  we  could  not  get  them  to  kill  one 
of  the  lions,  we  bent  our  footsteps  towards  the  village;  in 
going  round  the  end  of  the  hill,  however,  I  saw  one  of  the 
beasts  sitting  on  a  piece  of  rock,  as  before,  but  this  time  he 
had  a  little  bush  in  front.  Being  about  thirty  yards  off,  I 
took  a  good  aim  at  his  body  through  the  bush,  and  fired 
both  barrels  into  in.  The  men  then  called  out :  '  He  is  shot ! 
He  is  shot!'  Others  cried:  'He  has  been  shot  by  another 
man,  too ;  let  us  go  to  him.'  I  did  not  see  anyone  else  shoot 
at  him,  but  I  saw  the  lion's  tail  erected  in  anger  behind  the 
bush,  and  turning  to  the  people,  said  :  'Stop  a  little  till  I  load 
again.'  When  in  the  act  of  ramming  down  the  bullets  I  heard 
a  shout.  Starting,  and  looking  half  round,  I  saw  the  lion  just 
in  the  act  of  springing  upon  me.  I  was  upon  a  little  height. 
He  caught  my  shoulder  as  he  sprang  and  we  both  came 
to  the  ground  below  together.  Growling  horribly,  close  to  my 
ear,  he  shook  me  as  a  terrier  dog  does  a  rat.  The  shock 
produced  a  stupor,  similar  to  that  which  seems  to  be  felt  by 
a  mouse  after  the  first  shake  of  a  cat.  It  caused  a  sort  of 
dreaminess,  in  which  there  was  no  sense  of  pain  or  feeling 
of  terror,  though  quite  conscious  of  all  that  was  happening. 
It  was  like  what  patients  partially  under  the  influence 
of  chloroform  describe,  who  see  all  the  operation  but  feel 
not  the  knife.  This  singular  condition  was  not  the  result  of 
any  mental  process.  The  shake  annihilated  fear,  and  allowed 
no  sense  of  horror  in  looking  round  at  the  beast.  This 
peculiar  state  is  probably  produced  in  all  animals  killed  by 
the  carnivora;  and,  if  so,  is  a  merciful  provision  by  our 
benevolent  Creator  for  lessening  the  pain  of  death.  Turning 
round  to  relieve  myself  of  the  weight,  as  he  had  one  paw 
on  the  back  of  my  head,  I  saw  his  eyes  directed  to  Mebalwe, 
who  was  trying  to  shoot  him  at  a  distance  of  ten  or  fifteen 
yards.  His  gun,  a  flint  one,  missed  fire  in  both  barrels. 
The  lion  immediately  left  me  and  attacking  Mebalwe  bit  his 


52  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

thigh.  Another  man,  whose  life  I  had  saved  before,  aftei 
he  had  been  tossed  by  a  buffalo,  attempted  to  spear  the 
lion  while  he  was  biting  Mebalwe.  He  left  Mebalwe  and 
caught  this  man  by  the  shoulder;  but  at  that  moment  the 
bullets  he  had  received  took  effect,  and  he  fell  down  dead. 
The  whole  was  the  work  of  a  few  moments,  and  must  have 
been  his  paroxysm  of  dying  rage.  In  order  to  take  out  the 
charm  from  him,  the  Bakatla,  on  the  following  day,  made  a 
huge  bonfire  over  the  carcass,  which  was  declared  to  be 
the  largest  lion  they  had  ever  seen.  Besides  crunching  the 
bone  into  splinters,  he  left  eleven  teeth  wounds  on  the  upper 
part  of  my  arm.  A  wound  from  this  animal's  tooth  resembles 
a  gunshot  wound.  It  is  generally  followed  by  a  great  deal 
of  sloughing  and  discharge,  and  pains  are  felt  in  the  part 
periodically  ever  after.  I  had  on  a  tartan  jacket  on  the 
occasion,  and  I  believe  that  it  wiped  off  all  the  virus  from 
the  teeth  that  pierced  the  flesh;  for  my  two  companions  in 
this  affray  have  both  suffered  from  the  peculiar  pains,  while 
I  have  escaped  with  only  the  inconvenience  of  a  false  joint  in 
my  limb." 

A  Thrilling  Professor  Lichtenstein,  in  his  "  Travels  "  gives  a 
Experience,  thrilling  story  of  a  Boer's  adventure  with  a  lion, 
which  he  had  from  the  lips  of  the  Boer  himself.  "  It  is  now," 
said  the  colonist,  "more  than  two  years  since,  in  the  very 
place  where  we  stand,  I  ventured  to  take  one  of  the  most 
daring  shots  that  ever  was  hazarded.  My  wife  was  sitting 
within  the  house  near  the  door,  the  children  were  playing 
about  her,  and  I  was  without,  near  the  house,  busied  in 
doing  something  to  a  waggon,  when  suddenly,  though  it 
was  mid-day,  an  enormous  lion  appeared,  came  up  and  laid 
himself  quietly  down  in  the  shade  upon  the  very  threshold 
of  the  door.  My  wife,  either  frozen  with  fear,  or  aware  of 
the  danger  of  attempting  to  fly,  remained  motionless  in  her 
place,  while  the  children  took  refuge  in  her  arms.  The  cry 
they  uttered  attracted  my  attention,  and  I  hastened  towards 


THE  LION.  53 

the  door,  but  my  astonishment  may  well  be  conceived  when 
I  found  the  entrance  to  it  barred  in  such  a  way.  Although 
the  animal  had  not  seen  me,  unarmed  as  I  was  escape 
seemed  impossible,  yet  I  glided  gently,  scarcely  knowing  what 
I  meant  to  do,  to  the  side  of  the  house,  up  to  the  window 
of  my  chamber,  where  I  knew  my  loaded  gun  was  standing. 
By  a  most  happy  chance,  I  had  set  it  into  the  corner  close 
by  the  window,  so  that  I  could  reach  it  with  my  hand;  for, 
as  you  may  perceive,  the  opening  is  too  small  to  admit  of 
my  having  got  in,  and  still  more  fortunately,  the  door  of  the 
room  was  open,  so  that  I  could  see  the  whole  danger  of 
the  scene.  The  lion  was  beginning  to  move.  There  was 
no  longer  any  time  to  think;  I  called  softly  to  the  mother 
not  to  be  alarmed,  and  invoking  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
fired  my  piece.  The  ball  passed  directly  over  the  hair  of 
my  boy's  head  and  lodged  in  the  forehead  of  the  lion, 
immediately  above  his  eyes  and  stretched  him  on  the  ground, 
so  that  he  never  stirred  more."  "Indeed,"  says  Professor 
Lichtenstein,  "  we  all  shuddered  as  we  listened  to  this  relation. 
Never,  as  he  himself  observed,  was  a  more  daring  attempt 
hazarded.  Had  he  failed  in  his  aim,  mother  and  children 
were  all  inevitably  lost;  if  the  boy  had  moved  he  had  been 
struck;  the  least  turn  in  the  lion  and  the  shot  had  not  been 
mortal  to  him ;  and  to  consummate  the  whole,  the  head  of  the 
creature  was  in  some  sort  protected  by  the  door-post." 
Attacked  by  In  Phillips's  "Researches  in  South  Africa,"  the 
a  Lion,  following  account  is  given  of  the  adventures  of 
a  traveller  which  we  quote  from  Jardine's  Naturalists'  Library 
collated  with  other  versions.  "Our  waggons,  which  were 
obliged  to  take  a  circuitous  route,  arrived  at  last,  and  we 
pitched  our  tent  a  musket-shot  from  the  kraal,  and,  after 
having  arranged  everything,  went  to  rest,  but  were  soon 
disturbed;  for,  about  midnight  the  cattle  and  horses,  which 
were  standing  between  the  waggons,  began  to  start  and 
run,  and  one  of  the  drivers  to  shout,  on  which  every  one 


54  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

ran  out  of  the  tent  with  his  gun.  About  thirty  paces  from 
the  tent  stood  a  lion,  which,  on  seeing  us,  walked  very 
deliberately  about  thirty  paces  farther,  behind  a  small  thorn- 
bush,  carrying  something  with  him,  which  I  took  to  be  a 
young  ox.  We  fired  more  than  sixty  shots  at  that  bush, 
without  perceiving  any  movement.  The  south-east  wind  blew 
strong,  the  sky  was  clear,  and  the  moon  shone  very  bright, 
so  that  we  could  perceive  everything  at  that  distance.  After 
the  cattle  had  been  quieted  again,  and  I  had  looked  over 
everything,  I  missed  the  sentry  from  before  the  tent,  Jan 
Smit,  from  Antwerp.  We  called  as  loudly  as  possible,  but 
in  vain ;  nobody  answered,  from  which  I  concluded  that  the 
lion  had  carried  him  off.  Three  or  four  men  then  advanced 
very  cautiously  to  the  bush,  which  stood  right  opposite  the 
door  of  the  tent,  to  see  if  they  could  discover  anything  of 
the  man,  but  returned  helter-skelter;  for  the  lion,  who  was 
there  still,  rose  up,  and  began  to  roar.  They  found  there 
the  musket  of  the  sentry,  which  was  cocked,  and  also  his  cap 
and  shoes.  We  fired  again  about  a  hundred  shots  at  the 
bush,  without  perceiving  anything  of  the  lion,  from  which 
we  concluded  that  he  was  killed,  or  had  run  away.  This 
induced  the  marksman  of  our  company  to  go  and  see  if  he 
was  still  there  or  not,  taking  with  him  a  firebrand.  As  soon 
as  he  approached  the  bush,  the  lion  roared  terribly,  and 
leapt  at  him;  on  which  he  threw  the  firebrand  at  him,  and 
the  other  people  having  fired  about  ten  shots  at  him,  he 
retired  directly  to  his  former  place  behind  that  bush.  The 
firebrand  which  he  had  thrown  at  the  lion  had  fallen  in  the 
midst  of  the  bush,  and,  favoured  by  the  strong  south-east 
wind,  it  began  to  burn  with  a  great  flame,  so  that  we  could 
see  very  clearly  into  and  through  it.  We  continued  our  firing 
into  it  until  the  night  passed  away,  and  the  day  began  to 
break,  when  seven  men  were  posted  on  the  farthest  waggons 
to  watch  him,  and  to  take  aim  at  him  if  he  should  come 
out  At  last,  before  it  became  quite  light,  he  walked  up  the 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


AARD    VARK 
(Or/cteropus  capensis) 


BLOTCHED  GENETT 
(Genett-a  vulgaris) 


THE  LION.  55 

hill,  with  the  man  in  his  mouth,  when  about  forty  shots  were 
fired  without  hitting  him,  although  some  were  very  near. 
Every  time  this  happened,  he  turned  round  towards  the  tent, 
and  came  roaring  towards  us;  and,  I  am  of  opinion,  that  if 
he  had  been  hit,  he  would  have  rushed  on  the  people  and 
the  tent.  When  it  became  broad  daylight,  we  perceived,  by 
the  blood,  and  a  piece  of  the  clothes  of  the  man,  that  the 
lion  had  taken  him  away."  "For  the  satisfaction  of  the 
curious,"  says  Sir  William  Jardine,  "it  may  be  mentioned,  that 
he  was  followed,  and  killed  in  the  forenoon,  over  the  mangled 
remains  of  the  unfortunate  sentinel." 

A  Night  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming  gives  an  even  more  thrilling 
Surprise,  account  of  a  similar  adventure  of  his  experience. 
He  says: — "About  three  hours  after  the  sun  went  down,  I 
called  to  my  men  to  come  and  take  their  coffee  and  supper 
which  was  ready  for  them  at  my  fire;  and  after  supper,  three 
of  them  returned  before  their  comrades  to  their  own  fireside 
and  lay  down ....  In  a  few  minutes  an  ox  came  out  by  the 
gate  of  the  kraal  and  walked  round  the  back  of  it.  Hen- 
drick  got  up  and  drove  him  again  and  then  went  back  to 
his  fireside  and  lay  down.  Hendrick  and  Ruyter  lay  on  one 
side  of  the  fire  under  one  blanket  and  John  Stofolus  lay  on 
the  other ....  Suddenly  the  appalling  and  murderous  voice 
of  an  angry  bloodthirsty  lion,  within  a  few  yards  of  us,  burst 
upon  my  ear,  followed  by  the  shrieking  of  the  Hottentots. 
Again  and  again  the  murderous  roar  of  the  attack  was  re- 
peated. We  heard  John  and  Ruyter  shriek,  'the  Lion!  the 
Lion  ! . . .'  Next  instant  John  Stofolus  rushed  into  the  midst 
of  us  almost  speechless  with  fear  and  terror,  and  eyes  bursting 
from  their  sockets,  and  shrieked  out,  '  the  lion !  the  lion ! 
He  has  got  Hendrick,  he  dragged  him  away  from  the  fire 
beside  me.  I  struck  him  with  the  burning  brands  upon  his 
head,  but  he  would  not  let  go  his  hold.  Hendrick  is  dead ! 
0  God !  Hendrick  is  dead !  Let  us  take  fire  and  seek 
him  . . . . '  It  appeared  that  when  the  unfortunate  Hendrick 


56  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

rose  to  drive  in  the  ox,  the  lion  had  watched  him  to  his 
fireside,  and  he  had  scarcely  lain  down,  when  the  brute  sprang 
upon  him  and  Ruyter  (for  both  lay  under  one  blanket)  with 
his  appalling  murderous  roar,  and  roaring  as  he  lay,  grappled 
him  with  his  fearful  claws  and  kept  biting  him  on  the  breast 
and  shoulder,  all  the  while  feeling  for  his  neck;  having  got 
hold  of  which,  he  at  once  dragged  him  away  backwards 
round  the  bush  into  the  dense  shade ....  The  next  morning, 
just  as  the  day  began  to  dawn  we  heard  the  lion  dragging 
something  up  the  river  side  under  cover  of  the  bank.  We 
drove  the  cattle  out  of  the  kraal  and  then  proceeded  to 
inspect  the  scene  of  the  night's  awful  tragedy.  In  the  hollow 
where  the  lion  had  lain,  consuming  his  prey,  we  found  one 
leg  of  the  unfortunate  Hendrick,  bitten  off  below  the  knee, 
the  shoe  still  on  the  foot,  the  grass  and  bushes  were  all 
stained  with  his  blood,  and  fragments  of  his  pea-coat  lay 
around.  Hendrick  was  by  far  the  best  man  I  had  about 
my  waggons ...  his  loss  to  us  all  was  very  serious." 

A  liion  In  the  southern  part  of  Africa,  where  the  Hot- 
Outwitted,  tentots  live,  lions  were  very  common,  and  the 
adventures  of  the  inhabitants  with  them  very  frequent. 
One  evening  a  Hottentot  saw  that  he  was  pursued  by  a  lion. 
He  was  very  much  alarmed,  and  devised  the  following  means 
of  escape.  He  went  to  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  and  placed 
himself  a  little  below  it.  He  then  put  his  cloak  and  hat  on 
a  stick,  and  elevated  them  over  his  head,  giving  them  a 
gentle  motion.  The  lion  came  crouching  along,  and,  mistaking 
the  cloak  and  hat  for  the  man,  as  the  Hottentot  intended 
he  should  do,  he  sprang  upon  them  with  a  swift  leap,  and, 
passing  over  the  head  of  the  Hottentot,  was  plunged  head- 
long down  the  precipice. 
Old  instincts  ^n  tne  "Miscellany  of  Natural  History,"  from 

and  new      which  several  of  these  anecdotes  are  taken  there 
Opportunities.  ^     &    gtory    illustrating    the    way    in  which  old 

instincts    will     show    themselves    hi    the    presence   of    new 


THE  TIGER.  57 

opportunities.  On  the  evening  of  the  2Oth  October  1816,  a 
lioness  made  her  escape  from  a  travelling  menagerie  which  was 
drawn  up  on  the  road-side,  about  seven  miles  from  the  town 
of  Salisbury.  It  was  about  eight  o'clock,  and  quite  dark,  and 
the  Exeter  mail  was  passing  when  the  animal  suddenly  darted 
forward,  and  springing  at  the  throat  of  the  off-leader,  fastened 
the  talons  of  her  fore-feet  on  each  side  of  the  neck,  close  to  the 
horse's  head,  while  those  of  the  hind-feet  were  forced  into  the  chest. 
In  this  situation  she  hung,  while  the  blood  streamed  from  the 
agonized  creature,  as  if  a  vein  had  been  opened  by  a  lancet. 
It  may  be  easily  supposed,  that  the  alarm  excited  by  this 
encounter,  was  very  great.  Two  inside  passengers  instantly 
dashed  out  of  the  coach  and  fled  to  a  house  on  the  road- 
side. The  keeper  of  the  caravan  came,  and  immediately  set 
a  large  Newfoundland  dog  on  the  animal.  The  lioness,  on 
finding  herself  seized  by  the  leg,  quitted  the  horse,  and 
turned  upon  the  dog,  which  the  spectators  expected  would 
very  soon  become  the  victim  of  her  fury;  but  she  was 
contented  with  giving  him  only  a  slight  punishment,  and 
on  hearing  the  voice  of  her  keeper,  retired  under  a 
neighbouring  straw  rick,  and  gently  allowed  herself  to  be 
secured.  "This  anecdote,"  says  the  writer,  "is  remarkably 
characteristic,  the  moment  that  the  animal  found  herself  at 
liberty,  and  an  object  of  prey  presented  itself,  all  her  original 
propensities,  hitherto  restrained,  were  instantly  called  into 
action;  but  no  sooner  did  the  voice  of  her  keeper  reach  her 
ears,  than  the  force  of  long  habit  prevailed,  she  became 
calm,  and  allowed  herself  to  be  bound,  and  led  again  to 
her  den." 

The  Tiger.  The  tiger  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  but  at 
the  same  time  one  of  the  most  rapacious  and  destructive  of 
the  whole  animal  race.  It  is  found  in  the  warm  climates  of 
the  East,  especially  in  India  and  Siam.  It  so  much  resembles 
the  cat,  as  almost  to  induce  us  to  consider  the  latter  a  tiger 
in  miniature.  It  lurks  generally  near  a  fountain,  or  on  the 


58  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

brink  of  a  river,  to  surprise  such  animals  as  come  to  quench 
their  thirst ;  and  like  the  lion  bounds  upon  its  prey,  easily 
making  a  spring  of  twenty  feet  and  upwards.  When  it  has 
killed  one  animal  it  often  attacks  others,  swallowing  their 
blood  for  which  it  has  an  insatiable  thirst  in  large  draughts ; 
for  even  when  satisfied  with  food,  it  is  not  satiated  with 
slaughter.  The  tiger  is  said  by  some  to  prefer  human  flesh 
to  that  of  any  other  animal;  and  it  is  certain,  that  it  does 
not,  like  many  other  beasts  of  prey,  shun  the  presence  of 
man,  but  has  been  even  known  on  more  than  one  occasion 
to  spring  upon  a  hunting  party  when  seated  at  their  refresh- 
ment, and  carry  off  one  of  the  number,  rushing  through  the 
shrubs  into  the  forest,  and  devouring  the  unfortunate  victim 
at  its  leisure.  The  strength  as  well  as  the  agility  of  this  animal 
is  remarkable;  it  carries  off  a  deer  with  the  greatest  ease. 
The  tiger  is  ornamented  with  long  streaks  across  its  body. 
The  ground  colour  is  yellow,  very  deep  on  the  back,  but 
growing  lighter  towards  the  belly,  where  it  softens  to  white, 
as  it  does  also  on  the  throat  and  the  inside  of  the  legs.  The 
bars  which  cross  the  body  from  the  back  to  the  belly  are  of 
the  most  beautiful  black,  and  the  skin  altogether  is  so  extremely 
fine  and  glossy,  that  it  is  much  esteemed,  and  sold  at  a  high 
price  in  all  the  eastern  countries,  especially  China.  "The 
colouring  of  the  tiger,"  says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,"  is  a  good 
instance  of  the  manner  in  which  animals  are  protected  by 
the  similarity  of  their  external  appearance  to  the  particular 
locality  in  which  they  reside.  The  stripes  on  the  tiger's  skin 
so  exactly  assimilate  with  the  long  jungle  grass  amongst  which 
it  lives,  that  it  is  impossible  for  unpractised  eyes  to  discern 
the  animal  at  all,  even  when  a  considerable  portion  of  its 
body  is  exposed." 

Bavagos         The  ravages  committed  by  tigers  have  often 

Committed  led  to  the  organisation  of  hunting  parties  formed 

y    lgers'   with  a  view  to  exterminate  the  more  aggressive 

of  the  enemy.    The  following   narrative  of  a  tiger  excursion 


THE    TIGER.  59 

at  Doongal  is  from  the  "East  India  Government  Gazette." 
"There  were  five  tigers  killed  by  the  party,  besides  one 
bear  killed,  and  another  wounded ;  a  wolf,  a  hyaena,  a  panther, 
a  leopard,  and  some  immense  rock  and  cobra  capella  snakes. 
Among  the  occurrences  during  the  excursion,  some  were  of  a 
peculiar  and  pathetic  nature.  The  first  happened  to  a  poor 
Bunnia,  or  dealer,  of  the  village  of  Doongal,  who  had  been 
to  the  city  of  Hydrabad,  to  collect  some  money,  and  who 
was  returning,  after  having  gathered  together  a  small  sum, 
when  on  the  way,  a  little  beyond  the  cantonment  of  Secun- 
derabad,  he  saw  an  armed  Paeon  seated,  and  apparently  a 
traveller  in  the  same  direction.  After  mutual  inquiries,  the 
Paeon  told  the  Bunnia  he  was  going  to  the  same  place ;  and, 
as  the  Bunnia  was  glad  to  have  somebody  to  accompany 
him,  he  gave  him  a  part  of  his  victuals ;  and,  on  their  way, 
they  mutually  related  their  histories.  The  Bunnia  innocently 
mentioned  the  object  of  his  visit  to  the  city,  and  the  fact 
of  his  returning  with  the  money  he  had  collected;  this  im- 
mediately raised  the  avarice  of  the  Pseon,  who  decided  in 
his  mind  to  kill  the  poor  Bunnia  in  a  suitable  place,  and 
strip  him  of  his  money.  They  proceeded  together,  with  this 
design  in  the  mind  of  the  Paeon,  until  they  came  to  a  place 
where  the  ravages  of  the  tiger  were  notorious,  and  he  prepared 
to  kill  the  Bunnia;  and  while  he  was  struggling  with  him, 
and  in  the  act  of  drawing  his  sword  to  slay  him,  a  tiger 
sprang  upon  the  Paeon,  and  carried  him  off,  leaving  his  shield 
and  sword,  which  the  Bunnia  carried  to  Doongal,  as  trophies 
of  retributive  justice  in  his  favour.  The  next  victim  was  the 
wife  of  a  Bunjarra.  They  were  resting  under  a  tree,  when  a 
tiger  sprang  up,  and  seized  the  woman  by  the  head.  The 
husband,  from  mere  impulse  to  save  his  wife,  held  her  by  the 
legs ;  and  a  struggle  ensued  between  the  tiger  pulling  her  by 
the  head,  and  the  man  by  the  legs,  until  the  issue,  which 
could  not  be  doubted,  when  the  tiger  carried  off  the  woman. 
The  man  seemed  to  be  rather  partial  to  his  wife,  and  devoted 


60  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

himself  to  revenge  her  death, — forsook  his  cattle  and  prop- 
erty,— resigned  them  to  his  brother,  and  offered  his  services 
to  be  of  the  tiger-killing  party,  and  strayed  about  the  jungles, 
until  he  was  heard  of  no  more." 

"A  camel  driver,  who  had  been  just  married,  was  bringing 
home  his  "bride,  when  a  tiger  followed,  and  kept  them  in  view 
a  great  part  of  the  road,  for  an  opportunity  to  seize  one  of 
them.  The  bride  having  occasion  to  alight,  was  immediately 
pounced  upon  by  the  ferocious  beast,  and  he  scampered  away 
with  her  in  his  mouth.  A  shepherd  was  taken  by  a  young 
tiger,  which  was  followed  by  the  mother,  a  large  tigress,  and 
devoured  at  a  distance  of  two  miles ;  and  a  Bunnia,  or 
dealer,  from  Bolarum,  was  seized  returning  from  a  fair.  A 
woman,  with  an  infant  about  a  year  old,  was  captured  by  a 
tiger ;  and  the  infant  was  found  by  the  Puttal,  or  head  of  the 
village,  who  brought  it  to  his  house.  Some  of  the  Company's 
elephants  that  were  going  for  forage  were  chased  by  a  tiger, 
which  was  kept  off  by  a  spearman ;  and  a  comical  chase  of 
;hem  was  made  up  to  Doongal,  the  elephants  running  before 
the  tiger,  until  they  entered  the  village.  It  is  said  the  lives 
lost  by  these  tigers  amounted  to  about  three  hundred  per- 
sons in  one  year,  within  the  range  of  seven  villages;  and 
the  destruction  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats,  was  said  to  be 
immense." 
An  intrepid  Captain  Brown  in  his  "  Natural  History  of 

Hunter.  Animals  "  tells  a  thrilling  story  of  an  adventure  of 
Lieutenant  Collet,  of  the  Bombay  army,  who  having  heard 
that  a  very  large  tiger  had  destroyed  seven  inhabitants  of  an 
adjacent  village,  resolved,  with  another  officer,  to  attempt  the 
destruction  of  the  monster.  Having  ordered  seven  elephants, 
they  went  in  quest  of  the  animal,  which  they  found  sleeping 
beneath  a  bush.  Roused  by  the  noise  of  the  elephants,  he 
made  a  furious  charge  upon  them,  and  Lieutenant  Collet's 
elephant  received  him  on  her  shoulder,  the  other  six  having 
turned  about,  and  run  off,  notwithstanding  the  exertions  of 


THE   LEOPARD.  6 1 

their  riders.  The  elephant  shook  off  the  tiger,  and  Lieutenant 
Collet  having  fired  two  balls  at  him,  he  fell;  but,  again 
recovering  himself,  he  made  a  spring  at  the  lieutenant.  Having 
missed  his  object,  he  seized  the  elephant  by  the  hind  leg, 
and,  having  received  a  kick  from  her,  and  another  ball,  he 
let  go  his  hold,  and  fell  a  second  time.  Supposing  that 
he  was  now  disabled,  Collet  very  rashly  dismounted,  with  the 
resolution  of  killing  him  with  his  pistols;  but  the  tiger,  who 
had  only  been  crouching  to  take  another  spring,  flew  upon 
the  lieutenant,  and  caught  him  in  his  mouth.  The  strength 
and  intrepidity  of  the  lieutenant,  however,  did  not  forsake 
him:  he  immediately  fired  his  pistol  into  the  tiger's  body, 
and,  finding  that  this  had  no  effect,  disengaged  his  arms  with 
all  his  force,  and,  directing  the  other  pistol  to  his  heart,  he 
at  last  destroyed  him,  after  receiving  twenty-five  severe 
wounds. 

The  The  Leopard,  who  is  also  known  as  the  panther, 

Leopard,  belongs  to  Asia  and  Africa.  He  is  distinguished 
by  the  beauty  of  his  coat  which  is  of  a  rich  fawn  colour, 
graduating  to  white  underneath  his  belly.  It  is  covered  with 
spots  or  clusters  of  marks  which  resemble  the  form  of  a  rose. 
He  is  an  agile  climber  and  a  terror  to  goats,  sheep,  monkeys 
and  all  lesser  animals,  but  shows  no  special  hostility  to  man 
unless  attacked  or  cornered. 

The  Like  other  members  of  the  cat  family  the  Leopard 

Leopard's  shows  remarkable  tenacity  of  life.     Whether  like 

Tenacity  of  the    domestic    cat   he    has   nine  lives  or  not,  he 

certainly  takes  a  great  deal  of  killing. 

The  following  account  is  from  the  pen  of  an  eye-witness 
quoted  from  Captain  Brown's  "Natural  History  of  Animals". 
— "I  was  at  Jaffna,  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  Island 
of  Ceylon,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1819,  when,  one 
morning,  my  servant  called  me  an  hour  or  two  before  my 
usual  time,  with  'Master,  master!  people  sent  for  master's 
dogs — tiger  in  the  town ! '  There  are  no  real  tigers  in  Ceylon ; 


62  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

but  leopards  or  panthers  are  always  called  so,  and  by  our- 
selves as  well  as  by  the  natives.  This  turned  out  to  be  a 
panther.  My  gun  chanced  not  to  be  put  together;  and,  while 
my  servant  was  doing  it,  the  collector  and  two  medical  men, 
who  had  recently  arrived,  in  consequence  of  the  cholera 
morbus  having  just  then  reached  Ceylon  from  the  Continent, 
came  to  my  door,  the  former  armed  with  a  fowling-piece,  and 
the  two  latter  with  remarkably  blunt  hog-spears.  They  insisted 
upon  setting  off,  without  waiting  for  my  gun, — a  proceeding 
not  much  to  my  taste.  The  tiger  (I  must  continue  to  call 
him  so)  had  taken  refuge  in  a  hut,  the  roof  of  which,  like 
those  of  Ceylon  huts  in  general,  spread  to  the  ground  like 
an  umbrella;  the  only  aperture  into  it  was  a  small  door, 
about  four  feet  high.  The  collector  wanted  to  get  the  tiger 
out  at  once.  I  begged  to  wait  for  my  gun;  but  no — the 
fowling-piece,  (loaded  with  ball,  of  course,)  and  the  two  hog- 
spears,  were  quite  enough.  I  got  a  hedge-stake,  and  awaited 
my  fate,  from  very  shame.  At  this  moment,  to  my  great 
delight,  there  arrived  from  the  fort  an  English  officer,  two 
artillery-men,  and  a  Malay  captain;  and  a  pretty  figure  we 
should  have  cut  without  them,  as  the  event  will  show.  I 
was  now  quite  ready  to  attack,  and  my  gun  came  a  minute 
afterwards.  The  whole  scene  which  follows  took  place  within 
an  enclosure,  about  twenty  feet  square,  formed,  on  three  sides, 
by  a  strong  fence  of  palmyra  leaves,  and  on  the  fourth  by 
the  hut.  At  the  door  of  this,  the  two  artillery-men  planted 
themselves:  and  the  Malay  captain  got  at  the  top,  to  frighten 
the  tiger  out,  by  worrying  it — an  easy  operation,  as  the  huts 
there  are  covered  with  cocoa-nut  leaves.  One  of  the  artillery- 
men wanted  to  go  in  to  the  tiger,  but  we  would  not  suffer 
it.  At  last  the  beast  sprang.  This  man  received  him  on  his 
bayonet,  which  he  thrust  apparently  down  his  throat,  firing 
his  piece  at  the  same  moment  The  bayonet  broke  off  short, 
leaving  less  than  three  inches  on  the  musket;  the  rest  remained 
in  the  animal,  but  was  invisible  to  us.  The  shot  probably 


THE    LEOPARD.  63 

went  through  his  cheek,  for  it  certainly  did  not  seriously 
injure  him,  as  he  instantly  rose  upon  his  legs,  with  a  loud 
roar,  and  placed  his  paws  upon  the  soldier's  breast.  At  this 
moment,  the  animal  appeared  to  me  to  about  reach  the  centre 
of  the  man's  face;  but  I  had  scarcely  time  to  observe  this, 
when  the  tiger,  stooping  his  head,  seized  the  soldier's  arm 
in  his  mouth,  turned  him  half  round  staggering,  threw  him 
over  on  his  back,  and  fell  upon  him.  Our  dread  now  was, 
that,  if  we  fired  upon  the  tiger,  we  might  kill  the  man.  For 
a  moment,  there  was  a  pause,  when  his  comrade  attacked 
the  beast  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as  the  gallant  fellow 
himself  had  done.  He  struck  his  bayonet  into  his  head;  the 
tiger  rose  at  him — he  fired;  and  this  time  the  ball  took  effect, 
and  in  the  head.  The  animal  staggered  backwards,  and  we 
all  poured  in  our  fire.  He  still  kicked  and  writhed;  when 
the  gentlemen  with  the  hog-spears  advanced,  and  fixed  him, 
while  he  was  finished  by  some  natives  beating  him  on  the 
head  with  hedge-stakes.  The  brave  artilleryman  was,  after 
all,  but  slightly  hurt:  He  claimed  the  skin,  which  was  very 
cheerfully  given  to  him.  There  was,  however,  a  cry  among 
the  natives,  that  -the  head  should  be  cut  off:  it  was;  and, 
in  so  doing,  the  knife  came  directly  across  the  bayonet.  The 
animal  measured  little  less  than  four  feet,  from  the  root  of 
the  tail  to  the  muzzle.  There  was  no  tradition  of  a  tiger 
having  been  in  Jaffna  before.  Indeed,  this  one  must  have 
either  come  a  distance  of  almost  twenty  miles,  or  have  swam 
across  an  arm  of  the  sea  nearly  two  miles  in  breadth;  for 
Jaffna  stands  on  a  peninsula,  on  which  there  is  no  jungle 
of  any  magnitude." 

Hunters  Captain  Brown  gives  a  thrilling  story  of  an 
Hunted,  adventure  which  befell  two  Boers  in  South 
Africa  in  1822.  They  were  returning  from  a  hunting  excur- 
sion, when  they  unexpectedly  fell  in  with  a  leopard  in  a 
mountain  ravine,  and  immediately  gave  chase  to  him.  The 
animal  at  first  endeavoured  to  escape,  by  clambering  up  a 


64  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

precipice,  but,  being  hotly  pressed,  and  slightly  wounded  by 
a  musket-ball,  he  turned  upon  his  pursuers,  with  that  frantic 
ferocity,  which,  on  such  emergencies,  he  frequently  displays, 
and,  springing  upon  the  man  who  had  fired  at  him,  tore  him 
from  his  horse  to  the  ground,  biting  him  at  the  same  time 
very  severely  on  the  shoulder,  and  tearing  his  face  and  arms 
with  his  claws.  The  other  hunter,  seeing  the  danger  of  his 
comrade,  sprang  from  his  horse,  and  attempted  to  shoot  the 
leopard  through  the  head;  but,  whether  owing  to  trepidation, 
or  the  fear  of  wounding  his  friend,  or  the  sudden  motions 
of  the  animal,  he  unfortunately  missed  his  aim.  The  leopard, 
abandoning  his  prostrate  enemy  darted  with  redoubled  fury 
upon  this  second  antagonist;  and  so  fierce  and  sudden  was 
his  onset,  that  before  the  Boer  could  stab  him  with  his  hunt- 
ing-knife, he  had  struck  him  in  the  face  with  his  daws,  and 
torn  the  scalp  over  his  forehead.  In  this  frightful  condition, 
the  hunter  grappled  with  the  raging  beast,  and,  struggling  for 
life,  they  rolled  together  down  a  steep  declivity.  All  this 
passed  so  rapidly  that  the  Other  man  had  scarcely  time  to 
recover  from  the  confusion  into  which  his  feline  foe  had 
thrown  him,  to  seize  his  gun  and  rush  forward  to  aid  his 
comrade,  when  he  beheld  them  rolling  together  down  the 
steep  bank,  in  mortal  conflict.  In  a  few  moments  he  was  at 
the  bottom  with  them,  but  too  late  to  save  the  life  of  his 
friend,  who  had  so  gallantly  defended  him.  The  leopard 
had  torn  open  the  jugular  vein,  and  so  dreadfully  mangled 
the  throat  of  the  unfortunate  man,  that  his  death  was  inevit- 
able; and  his  comrade  had  only  the  melancholy  satisfaction 
of  completing  the  destruction  of  the  savage  beast,  which 
was  already  much  exhausted  by  several  deep  wounds  it 
had  received  in  the  breast,  from  the  desperate  knife  of  the 
expiring  huntsman." 

The  Jaguar.  The  Jaguar,  otherwise  known  as  the  American 
Leopard,  belongs  to  the  forests  of  South  America,  and  has  many 
points  of  difference  from  as  well  as  some  of  similarity  with 


MILES'   NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  JAGUAR.  65 

the  Leopard  of  Asia.  Though  ferocious  in  his  wild  state,  he 
is  amenable  to  civilizing  influences  and  becomes  mild  and 
tame  in  captivity.  He  is  an  excellent  swimmer  and  an  expert 
climber,  ascending  to  the  tops  of  high  branchless  trees  by 
fixing  his  claws  in  the  trunks.  It  is  said  that  he  can  hunt 
in  the  trees  almost  as  well  as  he  can  upon  the  ground,  and 
that  hence  he  becomes  a  formidable  enemy  to  the  monkeys. 
He  is  also  a  clever  fisherman,  his  method  being  that  of 
dropping  saliva  on  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  upon  the 
approach  of  a  fish,  by  a  dexterous  stroke  of  his  paw  knock- 
ing it  out  of  the  water  on  to  the  bank.  D'Azara,  says:  "  He 
is  a  very  ferocious  animal  causing  great  destruction  among 
horses  and  asses.  He  is  extremely  fond  of  eggs,  and  goes  to 
the  shores  frequented  by  turtles,  and  digs  their  eggs  out  of 
the  sand." 

The  strength  The  strength  of  the  Jaguar  is  very  great,  and 
of  the  Jaguar.  as  he  can  climb,  swim,  and  leap  a  great  distance, 
he  is  almost  equally  formidable  in  three  elements.  He  is  said 
to  attack  the  alligator  and  to  banquet  with  evident  relish  off 
his  victim.  D'Azara  says  that  on  one  occasion  he  found  a 
Jaguar  feasting  upon  a  horse  which  it  had  killed.  The  Jaguar 
fled  at  his  approach,  whereupon  he  had  the  body  of  the 
horse  dragged  to  within  a  musket  shot  of  a  tree  in  which  he 
purposed  watching  for  the  Jaguar's  return.  While  temporarily 
absent  he  left  a  man  to  keep  watch,  and  while  he  was  away  the 
jaguar  reappeared  from  the  opposite  side  of  a  river  which  was 
both  deep  and  broad.  Having  crossed  the  river  the  animal 
approached,  and  seizing  the  body  of  the  horse  with  his  teeth 
dragged  it  some  sixty  paces  to  the  water  side,  plunged  in 
with  it,  swam  across  the  river,  pulled  it  out  upon  the  other 
side,  and  carried  it  into  a  neighbouring  wood. 
A  Ni?ht  ofj  Mrs.  Bowdich  tells  a  story  of  two  early  settlers 
Horror.  fa  the  Western  States  of  America,  a  man  and 
his  wife,  who  closed  their  wooden  hut,  and  went  to  pay  a 
visit  at  a  distance,  leaving  a  freshly-killed  piece  of  venison 

5 


66  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

hanging  inside.  "The  gable  end  of  this  house  was  not 
boarded  up  as  high  as  the  roof,  but  a  large  aperture  was 
left  for  light  and  air.  By  taking  an  enormous  leap,  a  hungry 
jaguar,  attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  venison,  had  entered 
the  hut  and  devoured  part  of  it.  He  was  disturbed  by  the 
return  of  the  owners,  and  took  his  departure.  The  venison 
was  removed.  The  husband  went  away  the  night  after  to  a 
distance,  and  left  his  wife  alone  in  the  hut.  She  had  not 
been  long  in  bed  before  she  heard  the  jaguar  leap  in  at  the 
open  gable.  There  was  no  door  between  her  room  and 
that  in  which  he  had  entered,  and  she  knew  not  how  to 
protect  herself.  She,  however,  screamed  as  loudly  as  she 
could,  and  made  all  the  violent  noises  she  could  think  of, 
which  served  to  frighten  him  away  at  that  time;  but  she 
knew  he  would  come  again,  and  she  must  be  prepared  for 
him.  She  tried  to  make  a  large  fire,  but  the  wood  was 
expended.  She  thought  of  rolling  herself  up  in  the  bed- 
clothes, but  these  would  be  torn  off.  The  idea  of  getting 
under  the  low  bedstead  suggested  itself,  but  she  felt  sure 
a  paw  would  be  stretched  forth  which  would  drag  her  out. 
Her  husband  had  taken  all  their  firearms.  At  last,  as  she 
heard  the  jaguar  scrambling  up  the  end  of  the  house,  in 
despair  she  got  into  a  large  store  chest,  the  lid  of  which 
closed  with  a  spring.  Scarcely  was  she  within  it,  and  had 
dragged  the  lid  down,  inserting  her  fingers  between  it  and 
the  side  of  the  chest,  when  the  jaguar  discovered  where  she 
was.  He  smelt  round  the  chest,  tried  to  get  his  head  in 
through  the  crack,  but  fortunately  he  could  not  raise  the  lid. 
He  found  her  fingers  and  began  to  lick  them;  she  felt 
them  bleed,  but  did  not  dare  to  move  them  for  fear  she 
should  be  suffocated.  At  length  the  jaguar  leaped  on  to  the 
lid,  and  his  weight  pressing  down  the  lid,  fractured  her 
fingers.  Still  she  could  not  move.  He  smelt  round  again, 
he  pulled,  he  leaped  on  and  off,  till  at  last  getting  tired  of 
his  vain  efforts,  he  went  away.  The  poor  woman  lay  there 


THE   PUMA.  67 

till  daybreak,  and  then  only  feeling  safe  from  her  enemy, 
she  went  as  fast  as  her  strength  would  let  her  to  her  nearest 
neighbour's  a  distance  of  two  miles,  where  she  procured 
help  for  her  wounded  fingers,  which  were  long  in  getting 
well.  On  his  return,  her  husband  found  a  male  and  female 
jaguar  with  their  cubs,  in  the  forest  close  by,  and  all  were 
destroyed." 

The  Puma.  The  Puma,  or  American  lion,  is  known  by 
several  names.  It  is  sometimes  called  a  panther,  or  collo- 
quially a  "painter",  and  sometimes  a  cougar.  It  resembles 
the  lioness  somewhat  in  appearance,  especially  about  the 
head,  though  it  is  smaller  and  less  powerful.  Its  length 
varies  from  four  feet  to  four  feet  and  a  half,  and  its 
colour  is  that  of  the  fox,  graduating  in  parts  to  white.  Like 
the  lion  it  inhabits  plains  rather  than  forests ; — in  the  marshy 
districts,  and  on  the  borders  of  rivers  in  the  south,  and  in 
the  swamps  and  prairies  of  the  northern  districts.  It  lives  on 
such  wild  and  domestic  animals  as  come  within  its  reach, 
lying  at  full  length  upon  the  lower  branches  of  trees,  and 
dropping  upon  its  victims  as  they  pass  beneath.  Deer  and 
cattle  of  all  kinds  it  attacks,  and,  not  content  with  killing 
enough  for  immediate  purposes,  destroys  large  numbers,  suck- 
ing small  quantities  of  blood  from  each.  According  to  Sir 
William  Jardine  it  is  exceedingly  destructive  among  sheep 
and  has  been  known  to  kill  fifty  in  one  night.  The  Puma  is, 
however,  easily  tamed  and  becomes  very  docile  under  kindly 
treatment.  Edward  Kean  kept  a  tame  one  which  followed 
him  about  like  a  dog  and  was  as  playful  as  a  kitten. 

The  Puma's  "Molina  and  D'Azara  say,"  says  Sir  William 
Ferocity.  Jardine,  "  that  the  puma  will  flee  from  men,  and 
that  its  timidity  renders  its  pursuit  generally  free  from  dan- 
ger." The  following  incident  given  by  Sir  William  Jardine 
and  at  greater  length  by  Captain  Brown,  shows  that  this  is 
not  always  the  case.  According  to  these  accounts,  two 
hunters  visited  the  Katskills  in  pursuit  of  game,  each  armed 


68  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

with  a  gun  and  accompanied  by  a  dog.  They  agreed  to 
follow  contrary  directions  round  the  base  of  a  hill,  and  to 
join  each  other  immediately  upon  hearing  the  report  of  a 
gun.  Shortly  after  parting,  one  of  the  friends  heard  the  gun 
of  his  comrade  and  hastening  to  his  assistance  came  first 
upon  the  body  of  his  friend's  dog,  torn  and  lacerated;  proceed- 
ing further,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  the  growl  of  a 
wild  animal,  and  looking  up,  he  discovered  a  large  puma 
crouching  over  the  body  of  his  friend,  upon  the  branch  of  a 
tree.  The  animal  glared  at  him,  and  he,  knowing  the  rapi- 
dity of  the  Puma's  movements,  immediately  raised  his  gun 
and  fired,  whereupon  the  puma  rolled  over  on  to  the  ground 
with  his  prey.  The  dog  flew  at  the  infuriated  beast,  but  one 
blow  from  the  puma's  paw  silenced  him  for  ever.  Seeing 
that  his  comrade  was  dead  the  hunter  left  the  scene  in 
search  of  assistance,  upon  securing  which,  he  returned  to 
find  the  puma  dead,  beside  the  two  dogs  and  the  hunter  whom 
he  had  killed. 

Animals  and  Captain  Head,  in  his  "Journey  Across  the  Pam- 
Men.  pas"  says: — "The  fear  which  all  wild  animals  in 
America  have  of  man  is  very  singularly  seen  in  the  Pampas. 
I  often  rode  towards  the  ostriches  and  zamas,  crouching  under 
the  opposite  side  of  my  horse's  neck;  but  I  always  found 
that,  although  they  would  allow  my  loose  horse  to  approach 
them,  they,  even  when  young,  ran  from  me,  though  little  of 
my  figure  was  visible;  and  when  I  saw  them  all  enjoying 
themselves  in  such  full  liberty,  it  was  at  first  not  pleasing  to 
observe  that  one's  appearance  was  everywhere  a  signal  to 
them  that  they  should  fly  from  their  enemy.  Yet  it  is  by 
this  fear  'that  man  hath  dominion  over  the  beasts  of  the 
field,'  and  there  is  no  animal  in  South  America  that  does 
not  acknowledge  this  instinctive  feeling.  As  a  singular  proof 
of  the  above,  and  of  the  difference  between  the  wild  beasts 
of  America  and  of  the  old  world,  I  will  venture  to  relate  a 
chcumstance  which  a  man  sincerely  assured  me  had  happened 


THE  OCELOT.  69 

to  him  in  South  America: — He  was  trying  to  shoot  some 
wild  ducks,  and,  in  order  to  approach  them  unperceived,  he 
put  the  corner  of  his  poncho  (which  is  a  sort  of  long  narrow 
blanket)  over  his  head,  and  crawling  along  the  ground  upon 
his  hands  and  knees,  the  poncho  not  only  covered  his  body, 
but  trailed  along  the  ground  behind  him.  As  he  was  thus 
creeping  by  a  large  bush  of  reeds,  he  heard  a  loud,  sudden 
noise,  between  a  bark  and  a  roar:  he  felt  something  heavy 
strike  his  feet,  and,  instantly  jumping  up,  he  saw,  to  his 
astonishment,  a  large  puma  actually  standing  on  his  poncho ; 
and,  perhaps,  the  animal  was  equally  astonished  to  find 
himself  in  the  immediate  presence  of  so  athletic  a  man.  The 
man  told  me  he  was  unwilling  to  fire,  as  his  gun  was  loaded 
with  very  small  shot;  and  he  therefore  remained  motionless, 
the  puma  standing  on  his  poncho  for  many  seconds ;  at  last 
the  creature  turned  his  head,  and  walking  very  slowly  away 
about  ten  yards,  he  stopped,  and  turned  again :  the  man  still 
maintained  his  ground,  upon  which  the  puma  tacitly  acknow- 
ledged his  supremacy,  and  walked  off." 
The  Ocelot.  The  Ocelot  is  a  native  of  South  America  and 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Cat  family.  It  is  smaller 
than  the  Leopard,  attaining  to  about  three  feet  in  length,  and 
eighteen  inches  in  height.  Its  colour  is  grey,  tinged  with 
fawn  and  the  body  and  legs  are  covered  with  longitudinal 
chainlike  stripes  broken  into  patches  of  some  inches.  Its 
habits  are  like  those  of  its  near  relations,  the  Leopard  and 
the  Jaguar,  though  its  appetite  for  blood  makes  it  perhaps 
even  more  destructive.  It  will  suck  blood  with  the  greatest 
avidity  and  frequently  leave  a  carcase  otherwise  untouched 
in  order  to  pursue  other  animals  for  the  sake  of  more  blood. 
When  tame  the  Ocelot  is  remarkably  playful,  climbing  up 
the  legs  and  nestling  in  the  arms  of  its  benefactors.  It  is 
apt  to  be  dangerous  in  a  poultry  yard  but  will  keep  good 
friends  with  a  house  dog,  and  play,  somewhat  roughly,  per- 
haps, but  without  malice,  with  children. 


/O  NATUllAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

The  cioudedj  This  animal  belongs  to  Sumatra  where  it  lives 
Tiger.  UpOn  the  forest  birds.  Like  the  Ocelot  it  is 
exceedingly  playful  when  tame,  seeking  the  notice  and  return- 
ing the  caresses  of  all  who  encourage  it. 
The  serval  "  The  Serval,"  says  Captain  Brown, "  is  somewhat 
larger  than  the  ordinary  wild  cat  Its  general  colour  is  a 
pale  fulvous  yellow.  It  resides  on  trees,  where  it  makes  a 
bed,  and  breeds  its  young.  It  seldom  appears  on  the  ground, 
living  principally  on  birds,  squirrels,  and  small  animals;  it  is 
extremely  agile,  and  leaps,  with  great  rapidity,  from  one  branch 
to  another.  The  serval  never  assaults  man,  but  rather  endea- 
vours to  avoid  him;  if,  however,  it  is  compelled  to  attack, 
it  darts  furiously  on  its  antagonist,  and  bites  and  tears,  like 
the  rest  of  the  cat  kind." 

The  Common  The  common  wild  cat  is  one  of  the  few  wild 
Wild  Oat  animals  still  to  be  found  in  the  British  Isles.  Up 
till  recent  years  these  cats  were  observed  among  the  woody 
mountainous  districts  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland  and  in 
the  wild  parts  of  Scotland  and  Ireland,  though  as  the  land 
is  brought  more  and  more  under  cultivation  they  decrease 
in  numbers,  failing  suitable  asylum.  They  abound  in  the 
forests  of  Germany  and  Russia,  where  they  live  in  the  hollows 
of  trees  and  caves  of  rocks,  and  feed  on  birds,  squirrels, 
hares  and  rabbits,  and  will  even  attack  young  lambs  and  fawns. 
The  wild  cat  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the  domestic  cat 
which  has  relapsed  into  a  wild  state.  "In  the  form  and 
shape  of  the  tail,"  says  Sir  William  Jardine,  "this  animal 
somewhat  resembles  the  Lynx.  The  fur  is  very  thick,  woolly 
and  long.  The  general  colour  is  a  greyish  yellow,  in  some 
specimens  inclining  much  to  a  shade  of  bluish  grey." — "They 
spring,"  says  Mrs.  Bowdich, "  furiously  upon  whoever  approaches, 
and  utter  unearthly  cries.  Mr.  St.  John,  when  walking  up  to 
his  knees  in  heather  over  broken  ground,  came  suddenly 
upon  a  wild  cat  She  rushed  out  between  his  legs,  every 
hair  standing  up.  He  cut  a  good-sized  stick;  and  three  Skye 


THE   CAT.  71 

terriers  gave  chase  till  she  took  refuge  in  a  corner,  spitting 
and  growling.  On  trying  to  dislodge  her,  she  flew  at  Mr. 
St.  John's  face,  over  the  dogs'  heads ;  but  he  struck  her  while 
in  the  air,  and  she  fell  among  the  dogs,  who  soon  despatched 
her,  even  though  it  has  been  said  that  a  wild  cat  has  twelve 
instead  of  nine  lives.  If  one  of  these  animals  is  taken,  those 
in  the  neighbourhood  are  sure  to  be  also  secured,  as  they 
will  all,  after  the  manner  of  foxes,  assemble  round  the  body 
of  their  relative." 
The  Domestic  The  origin  of  the  domestic  cat  is  difficult  to 

Cat<  determine.  Cats  were  numerous  in  Egypt  from 
an  early  date,  and  are  said  to  be  native  to  Syria.  Accord- 
ing to  Professor  Rolleston  the  cat  was  not  domesticated  any- 
where, except  in  Egypt,  before  the  Christian  Era.  Few 
animals  are  more  familiar  to  the  general  reader,  and  few 
therefore,  need  less  description.  The  "Tabby"  is  perhaps 
the  commonest,  though  black,  white,  and  tortoise-shell  varieties 
abound.  The  Angora  or  Angola  cat,  the  Persian  cat,  and  the 
Manx  cat,  which  latter  is  deficient  in  the  useful  and  orna- 
mental embellishment  of  a  tail,  are  also  well  known. 

Cat  There  are  many  superstitions  concerning  the 

Superstitions.  catj  the  black  variety  coming  in  for  the  larger 
share  of  popular  suspicion.  To  steal  one  and  bury  it  alive 
was  at  one  time  regarded  as  a  specific  against  cattle  desease 
in  the  Irish  Highlands,  while,  according  to  Captain  Brown,  it 
was  the  practice  for  families  in  Scotland  to  tie  up  their  cats 
on  Hallowe'en  to  prevent  their  use  for  equestrian  purposes  by 
witches  during  the  night.  "  They  have  always  been  regarded 
as  attendants  upon  witches,"  says  Mrs.  Bowdich,  "and  witches 
themselves  have  been  said  to  borrow  their  shapes  when  on 
their  mysterious  expeditions.  I  was  once  told  that  Lord 
Cochrane  was  accompanied  by  a  favourite  black  cat  in  a 
cruise  through  the  northern  seas.  The  weather  had  been 
most  unpropitious ;  no  day  had  passed  without  some  untoward 
circumstance ;  and  the  sailors  were  not  slow  in  attributing  the 


72  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

whole  to  the  influence  of  the  black  cat  on  board.  This  came 
to  Lord  Cochrane's  ears,  and  knowing  that  any  attempt  to 
reason  his  men  out  of  so  absurd  a  notion  was  perfectly  use- 
less, he  offered  to  sacrifice  this  object  of  his  regard,  and  have 
her  thrown  overboard.  This,  however,  far  from  creating  any 
satisfaction,  only  alarmed  the  men  still  more.  They  were 
sure  that  the  tempests  she  would  then  raise  would  be  much 
worse  than  any  they  had  yet  encountered ;  and  they  implored 
his  lordship  to  let  her  remain  unmolested.  'There  was  no 
help,  and  they  could  only  hope,  if  she  were  not  affronted, 
they  might  at  the  end  of  their  time  reach  England  in 
safety.'" 

The  Cat  as  " The  cat,"  says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  "is  fami- 
a  Hunter.  iiariy  known  to  us  as  a  persevering  mouse-hunter. 
So  strong,  indeed,  is  the  passion  for  hunting  in  the  breast 
of  the  cat,  that  she  sometimes  disdains  mice,  'and  such 
small  deer,'  and  trespasses  on  warrens  or  preserves.  A  large 
tabby  cat,  residing  at  no  great  distance  from  White  Horse 
Vale,  was  accustomed  to  go  out  poaching  in  the  preserves 
of  a  neighbouring  nobleman,  and  so  expert  was  she  at  this 
illegal  sport  that  she  constantly  returned  bearing  in  her 
mouth  a  leveret  or  a  partridge,  which  she  insisted  on  present- 
ing to  her  mistress,  who  in  vain  endeavoured  to  check  her 
marauding  propensities.  These  exploits,  however,  brought 
their  own  punishment;  for  one  day,  when  in  the  act  of 
seizing  a  leveret,  she  found  herself  caught  in  a  vermin  trap, 
which  deprived  her  of  one  of  her  hind  legs.  This  mis- 
fortune did  not  damp  her  enthusiasm  for  hunting,  as, 
although  the  loss  of  a  leg  prevented  her  from  chasing  hares, 
and  suchlike  animals,  she  would  still  bring  in  an  occa- 
sional rat." 

The  Cat  and      "  A  cat,  which  had  a  numerous  litter  of  kittens," 

her  Young.  savs  Captain  Brown,  "  one  sunny  day  encouraged 

her  little   ones  to  frolic  in  the  vernal  beams  of  noon,  about 

the    stable   door,   where  she  was  domiciled.     While  she  was 


THE  CAT.  73 

joining  them  in  a  thousand  tricks  and  gambols,  a  large  hawk, 
who  was  sailing  above  the  barn-yard,  in  a  moment  darted 
upon  one  of  the  kittens,  and  would  have  as  quickly  borne 
it  off,  but  for  the  courageous  mother,  who,  seeing  the  danger 
of  her  offspring,  sprang  on  the  common  enemy,  who,  to 
defend  itself,  let  fall  the  prize.  The  battle  presently  became 
severe  to  both  parties.  The  hawk,  by  the  power  of  his  wings, 
the  sharpness  of  his  talons,  and  the  strength  of  his  beak, 
had  for  a  while  the  advantage,  cruelly  lacerating  the  poor 
cat,  and  had  actually  deprived  her  of  one  eye  in  the  con- 
flict; but  puss,  no  way  daunted  at  the  accident,  strove,  with 
all  her  cunning  and  agility,  for  her  kittens,  till  she  had  broken 
the  wing  of  her  adversary.  In  this  state,  she  got  him  more 
within  the  power  of  her  claws,  and  availing  herself  of  this 
advantage,  by  an  instantaneous  exertion,  she  laid  the  hawk 
motionless  beneath  her  feet;  and,  as  if  exulting  in  the  victory, 
tore  the  head  off  the  vanquished  tyrant.  This  accomplished, 
disregarding  the  loss  of  her  eye,  she  ran  to  the  bleeding 
kitten,  licked  the  wounds  made  by  the  hawk's  talons  in  its 
tender  sides,  and  purred  whilst  she  caressed  her  liberated 
offspring." 

The  Cat  as  a  The  female  cat  seems  to  be  in  a  special  sense 
roster  a  born  mother.  She  is  assiduous  in  the  care  of 
Mother.  ^er  own  voung  an(j  singularly  ready  to  extend 
the  benefits  of  motherhood  even  to  alien  offspring.  Instances 
are  on  record  in  which  cats  have  reared  squirrels,  dogs,  lev- 
erets, rats,  ducks,  chickens,  and  even  small  birds.  These  have 
usually  occurred  at  times  when  the  cats  have  been  deprived 
of  their  own  young.  Mr.  T.  Foggitt  says:  "A  cat  belonging 
to  the  Albert  Dock  Warehouse,  Liverpool,  gave  birth  to  six 
kittens.  It  was  deemed  necessary  to  destroy  four  of  them, 
and  they  were  accordingly  drowned.  The  remaining  two 
were  placed,  along  with  their  mother,  in  some  loose  cotton, 
collected  for  the  purpose  in  a  box,  in  one  of  the  warehouse 
rooms.  On  removing  the  box  a  few  mornings  after,  to  give 


74  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE, 

puss  her  usual  breakfast,  great  curiosity  was  excited  on  seeing 
a  third  added  to  the  number;  and  the  astonishment  was  still 
greater  when  the  third  was  discovered  to  be  a  young  rat 
which  the  cat  had  taken  from  its  nest  in  the  night-time,  and 
brought  home  as  a  companion  to  the  kittens  she  was  then 
nursing.  The  young  rat  was  very  lively,  and  was  treated  by 
the  cat  with  the  same  attention  and  care  as  if  it  were  one 
of  her  own  offspring." 

The  Cat  as  a  The  distances  that  cats  will  travel,  finding 
Traveller,  their  way  with  unerring  instinct  many  miles  across 
country  of  which  there  seems  no  reason  to  suppose  them  to  have 
had  previous  knowledge  is  very  remarkable.  Mrs.  Bowdich 
records  the  case  of  a  cat  who  disliking  her  new  home, 
returned  to  her  old  one,  in  doing  which,  she  had  to  cross 
two  rivers,  one  of  them  about  eighty  feet  broad  and  two  feet 
and  a  half  deep,  running  strong;  the  other  wider  and  more 
rapid,  but  less  deep.  Cats  are  said  to  have  found  their  way  from 
Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  and  one  to  the  writer's  knowledge 
returned  from  Dover  to  Canterbuiy  after  being  carried  from 
thence  by  rail.  Captain  Brown  gives  the  following  remark- 
able instance.  In  June,  1 825,  a  farmer,  residing  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Ross,  sent  a  load  of  grain  to  Gloucester,  a 
distance  of  about  sixteen  miles.  The  waggoners  loaded  in 
the  evening,  and  started  early  in  the  morning.  On  unload- 
ing at  Gloucester,  a  favourite  cat,  belonging  to  the  farmer, 
was  found  among  the  sacks,  with  two  kittens  of  very  recent 
birth.  The  waggoner  very  humanely  placed  puss  and  her 
young  in  a  hay-loft,  where  he  expected  they  would  remain 
in  safety,  until  he  should  be  ready  to  depart  for  home.  On 
his  return  to  the  loft  shortly  afterwards,  neither  cat  nor  kittens 
were  to  be  found,  and  he  reluctantly  left  town  without  them. 
Next  morning  the  cat  entered  the  kitchen  of  her  master's  house 
with  one  kitten  in  her  mouth.  It  was  dead;  but  she  placed 
it  before  the  fire,  and  without  seeking  food,  o  indulging, 
for  a  moment,  in  the  genial  warmth  of  stic  her  dome  hearth, 


THE  CAT.  75 

disappeared  again.  In  a  short  time  she  returned  with  the 
other  kitten,  laid  it  down  by  the  first,  stretched  herself 
beside  them,  and  instantly  expired!  The  poor  creature  could 
have  carried  but  one  at  a  time,  and,  consequently,  must  have 
travelled  three  times  over  the  whole  line  of  her  journey,  and 
performed  forty- eight  miles  in  less  than  twelve  hours. 
The  Cat  as  "The  favourite  food  of  the  cat  is  fish,  which 
Sportsman,  curiously  enough  inhabits  an  element  to  which  the 
cat  has  a  great  aversion.  There  are,  however,  numerous  instances 
on  record  of  cats  which  have  overcome  their  natural  anti- 
pathy to  water  in  order  to  gratify  their  natural  taste  for  fish. 
An  extraordinary  case  of  this  kind  is  recorded  in  the  Plymouth 
Journal,  June,  1828: — "There  is  now  at  the  battery  on  the 
Devil's  Point,  a  cat,  which  is  an  expert  catcher  of  the  finny 
tribe,  being  in  the  constant  habit  of  diving  into  the  sea,  and 
bringing  up  the  fish  alive  in  her  mouth,  and  depositing  them 
in  the  guard-room,  for  the  use  of  the  soldiers.  She  is  now 
seven  years  old,  and  has  long  been  a  useful  caterer.  It  is 
supposed  that  her  pursuit  of  the  water-rats  first  taught  her  to 
venture  into  the  water,  to  which  it  is  well  known  puss  has  a 
natural  aversion.  She  is  as  fond  of  the  water  as  a  New- 
foundland dog,  and  takes  her  regular  peregrinations  along  the 
rocks  at  its  edge,  looking  out  for  her  prey,  ready  to  dive  for 
them  at  a  moment's  notice." 

Mr.  Beverley  R.  Morris  says:  "When  living  in  Worcester 
many  years  ago,  I  remember  frequently  seeing  the  cat  of 
a  near  neighbour  of  ours  bring  fish,  mostly  eels,  into  the 
house,  which  it  used  to  catch  in  a  pond  not  far  off.  This 
was  an  almost  everyday  occurrence." 

The  Cat's  Many  remarkable  illustrations  might  be  given 
Intelligence.  of  the  ^g^ity  and  intelligence  of  the  cat.  A 
lady  had  for  many  years  been  the  possessor  of  a  cat  and  a 
canary  bird,  who  became  the  closest  friends,  never  bearing 
any  lengthy  separation  from  each  other,  and  spending  their 
whole  time  in  each  other's  society.  One  summer  day  the 


76  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

lady  was  sitting  working  in  her  drawing-room,  and  the  cat 
and  bird  were  a  short  distance  off.  Suddenly,  without  a 
moment's  deliberation,  the  cat,  to  the  great  astonishment  of 
the  lady,  uttered  a  loud  growl,  and  then,  seizing  her  little 
playmate  in  her  mouth,  darted  off  with  it  to  a  place  of  safety. 
A  strange  cat  had  entered  the  room  and  the  friendly  one  had 
adopted  this  plan  of  saving  the  bird  from  the  enemy.  A 
still  more  remarkable  illustration  of  the  intelligence  of  a  cat 
is  given  by  De  la  Croix  as  follows:  "I  once  saw,"  says  he, 
"a  lecturer  upon  experimental  philosophy  place  a  cat  under 
the  glass  receiver  of  an  air-pump,  for  the  purpose  of  demon- 
strating that  very  certain  fact,  that  life,  cannot  be  supported 
without  air  and  respiration.  The  lecturer  had  already  made 
several  strokes  with  the  piston,  in  order  to  exhaust  the  receiver 
of  its  air,  when  the  animal,  who  began  to  feel  herself  very 
uncomfortable  in  the  rarefied  atmosphere,  was  fortunate  enough 
to  discover  the  source  from  which  her  uneasiness  proceeded. 
She  placed  her  paw  upon  the  hole  through  which  the  air 
escaped,  and  thus  prevented  any  more  from  passing  out  of 
the  receiver.  All  the  exertions  of  the  philosopher  were  now 
unavailing ;  in  vain  he  drew  the  piston ;  the  cat's  paw  effect- 
ually prevented  its  operation.  Hoping  to  effect  his  purpose, 
he  let  air  again  into  the  receiver,  which,  as  soon  as  the  cat 
perceived,  she  withdrew  her  paw  from  the  aperture;  but 
whenever  he  attempted  to  exhaust  the  receiver,  she  applied 
her  paw  as  before.  All  the  spectators  clapped  their  hands 
in  admiration  of  the  wonderful  sagacity  of  the  animal,  and  the 
lecturer  found  himself  under  the  necessity  of  liberating  her, 
and  substituting  in  her  place  another,  that  possessed  less  pene- 
tration, and  enabled  him  to  exhibit  the  cruel  experiment." 

The  Lynx.  The  several  species  of  the  Lynx  belong  to  the 
genus  Lyncus,  the  principle  varieties  of  which  are  the  Canada 
Lynx,  and  the  European  Lynx.  The  Lynx  has  short  legs, 
and  is  generally  about  the  size  of  a  fox,  attaining  often  to 
three  feet  in  length.  It  preys  upon  small  quadrupeds  and 


e  No.  6 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


EUROPEAN    LVN 
(Lynx  virgatus) 


THE   CHETAH.  77 

birds,  in  the  pursuit  of  which  it  is  an  expert  climber.  The 
Canada  Lynx  preys  largely  upon  the  American  hare,  which 
it  is  well  qualified  to  hunt.  The  Lynx  is  distinguished  by  a 
peculiar  gait,  for  unlike  other  animals,  it  bounds  with,  and 
alights  upon,  all  four  feet  at  once.  The  ears  are  erect,  and 
tipped  with  a  long  pencil  of  black  hair.  The  fur  which  is 
long  and  thick  is  of  a  pale  grey  colour,  with  a  reddish  tinge, 
marked  with  dusky  spots  on  the  upper  part  of  the  body.  The 
under  parts  are  white.  The  European  Lynx  feeds  upon 
small  animals  and  birds.  The  fur  of  the  lynx  is  valuable,  on 
account  of  its  great  softness  and  warmth,  and  is  in  consequence  an 
extensive  article  of  commerce.  It  inhabits  the  northern  parts 
of  Europe,  Asia,  and  America ;  and  prefers  cold  or  temperate 
climates,  differing  in  this  respect  from  most  of  the  cat  tribe. 

The  Chetah.  The  Chetah  or  Hunting  Leopard  is  the  one 
species  of  the  genus  Cynoelurus.  It  is  a  handsome  animal 
and  capable  of  considerable  training.  According  to  Mr.  Benet's 
description  it  is  "intermediate  in  size  between  the  leopard 
and  the  hound,  more  slender  in  its  body,  more  elevated  in 
its  legs,  and  less  flattened  on  the  fore  part  of  its  head  than  the 
leopard,  while  deficient  in  the  peculiarly  graceful  and  lengthened 
form,  both  of  head  and  body,  which  characterizes  the  hound." 
"  The  ground  colour  of  the  Chetah  is  a  bright  yellowish  fawn 
above,  and  nearly  pure  white  beneath ;  covered  above,  and 
on  the  sides,  by  innumerable  closely  approximating  spots, 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  diameter,  which  are  intensely 
black,  and  do  not,  as  in  the  leopard  and  other  spotted  cats, 
form  roses  with  a  lighter  centre,  but  are  full  and  complete." 
The  Chetah  is  found  in  India  and  Africa  but  it  is  only  in 
India  that  it  is  trained  for. hunting  purposes.  Sir  William 
Jardine  says :  "  the  employment  of  the  hunting  leopard  may 
be  compared  to  the  sport  of  falconry.  The  natural  instinct 
teaches  them  to  pursue  the  game,  the  reward  of  a  portion 
of  it,  or  of  the  blood,  induces  them  to  give  it  up,  and  again 

subject  themselves  to  their  master." 


78  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 


The  chetah  '•^^e  Pract^ce  °f  employing  animals  to  hunt 
as  a  animals  is  of  very  early  origin,  and  the  docility 

Huntsman.  of  tne  Chetah  early  marked  him  out  as  a  suitable 
ally  in  the  chase.  Chetahs  are  so  gentle  that  they  can  be 
led  about  in  a  leash  like  greyhounds.  The  following  descrip- 
tion of  a  hunt  is  from  "The  Naturalist's  Library".  "Just 
before  we  reached  our  ground,  the  shuter  suwars  (camel 
courier),  who  always  moved  on  our  flanks  in  search  of  game, 
reported  a  herd  of  antelopes,  about  a  mile  out  of  the  line  of 
march,  and  the  Chetahs  being  at  hand,  we  went  hi  pursuit 
of  them.  The  leopards  are  each  accommodated  with  a  flat- 
topped  cart,  without  sides,  drawn  by  two  bullocks,  and  each 
animal  has  two  attendants.  They  are  loosely  bound  by  a 
collar  and  rope  to  the  back  of  the  vehicle,  and  are  also  held 
by  the  keeper  by  a  strap  round  the  loins.  A  leathern  hood 
covers  the  eyes.  On  entering  from  a  cotton  field,  we  came 
in  sight  of  four  antelopes,  and  my  driver  managed  to  get 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  them  before  they  took  alarm. 
The  Chetah  was  quickly  unhooded  and  loosed  from  his 
bonds;  and,  as  soon  as  he  viewed  the  deer,  he  dropped 
quietly  off  the  cart  on  the  opposite  side  to  that  on  which  they 
stood,  and  approached  them  at  a  slow  crouching  canter, 
masking  himself  by  every  bush,  and  inequality,  which  lay  in 
his  way.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  deer  began  to  show  alarm, 
he  quickened  his  pace  and  was  in  the  midst  of  them  in  a 
few  bounds.  He  singled  out  a  doe,  and  ran  it  close  for 
about  200  yards,  when  he  reached  it  with  a  blow  of  his 
paw,  rolled  it  over,  and  hi  an  instant  was  sucking  the  life 
blood  from  its  throat."  "As  soon  as  the  deer  is  pulled," 
says  the  same  account,  "a  keeper  runs  up,  hoods  the  Chetah, 
cuts  the  victim's  throat,  and  securing  some  of  the  blood  in 
a  wooden  ladle,  thrusts  it  under  the  leopard's  nose.  The 
antelope  is  then  dragged  away  and  placed  in  a  receptacle 
under  the  hatchery,  while  the  Chetah  is  rewarded  with  a  leg 
for  his  pains." 


THE  ICHNEUMON.  79 

The  civits.  The  family  Viverridae  includes  a  large  number 
of  species  of  small  carnivorous  animals  of  which  the  Civits 
and  the  Ichneumons  are  the  best  known.  They  belong 
chiefly  to  Africa  and  South  Asia,  but  some  are  found  in 
the  south  of  Europe.  The  African  Civit  hails  from  Gaboon 
and  Abyssinia  and  the  Asiatic  variety  from  Bengal,  Nepaul, 
China  and  Formosa.  It  is  from  these  animals  that  we  get 
the  fatty  substance,  used  in  perfumery  and  known  as 
civit.  Of  this  Mr.  Piesse  says:  "In  is  pure  state,  civit 
has  to  nearly  all  persons  a  most  disgusting  odour,  but  when 
diluted  to  an  infinitesimal  portion  its  perfume  its  agreeable. 
The  Genet,  and  the  Paradoxure  are  other  genera  of  this 
family." 

The  Ichneumon.  The  Ichneumon  numbers  some  fifteen  genera, 
and  sixty  species.  The  best  known  of  these  is  the  grey 
Ichneumon  which  comes  from  India  or  adjacent  countries. 
Naturally  savage  it  soon  becomes  tame  under  kindly  treat- 
ment. It  seems  to  have  a  natural  enmity  towards  serpents, 
which  it  attacks  and  destroys.  The  Mahrattas  say  that  it 
neutralizes  the  effects  of  snake  bites  by  eating  the  root  of 
the  monguswail.  Captain  Brown  records  an  experiment  in 
which  the  ichneumon  was  placed  in  a  room  with  a  poisonous 
serpent  which  it  tried  to  avoid.  On  the  two  being  removed 
to  the  open  air,  the  ichneumon  is  said  to  have  immediately 
darted  at  the  serpent  and  destroyed  it,  afterwards  retiring 
to  the  wood  and  eating  a  portion  of  the  plant  said  to  be 
an  antidote  to  the  serpent's  venom.  The  Ichneumon  is 
about  the  size  of  the  domestic  cat  and  of  a  dark  silver 
giey  colour.  The  Egyptian  Ichneumon  much  resembles  the 
cat  in  its  habits  and  manners  and  is  so  deadly  a  foe  to 
reptiles  and  vermin,  that  it  is  domesticated  with  a  view  to 
their  destruction.  It  is  remarkably  quick  in  its  movements, 
darting  with  unerring  aim  at  the  head  of  the  reptile  it 
attacks.  It  displays  also  the  cat's  patience  in  watching  for 
its  prey.  It  has  a  great  liking  for  crocodile's  eggs  and  with 


80  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

remarkable   instinct   unearths  them  from  the  banks  of  rivers 
where  they  have  been  deposited. 

Dormant  Though  perfectly  tame  in  captivity,  the  natural 
Instinct,  instincts  of  the  ichneumon  are  only  dormant,  as 
the  following  illustration  will  show.  M.  d'Obsonville  says,  in  his 
"  Essay  on  the  Nature  of  Various  Animals",  "  I  had  an  ichneu- 
mon very  young,  which  I  brought  up.  I  fed  it  at  first  with 
milk,  and  afterwards  with  baked  meat,  mixed  with  rice.  It 
soon  became  even  tamer  than  a  cat;  for  it  came  when  called, 
and  followed  me,  though  at  liberty,  into  the  country.  One 
day  I  brought  to  him  a  small  water  serpent  alive,  being 
desirous  to  know  how  far  his  instinct  would  carry  him,  against 
a  being  with  which  he  was  hitherto  totally  unacquainted.  His 
first  emotion  seemed  to  be  astonishment,  mixed  with  anger : 
for  his  hair  became  erect;  but  in  an  instant  after,  he  slipped 
behind  the  reptile,  and,  with  remarkable  swiftness  and  agility, 
leaped  upon  its  head,  seized  it,  and  crushed  it  between  his 
teeth.  This  essay,  and  new  aliment,  seemed  to  have  awakened 
in  him  his  innate  and  destructive  voracity,  which,  till  then, 
had  given  way  to  the  gentleness  he  had  acquired  from  his 
education.  I  had  about  my  house  several  curious  kinds  of 
fowls,  among  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  and  which,  till 
then,  he  had  suffered  to  go  and  come  unmolested  and  unre- 
garded ;  but,  a  few  days  after,  when  he  found  himself  alone, 
he  strangled  them  every  one,  eat  a  little,  and,  as  it  appeared, 
drank  the  blood  of  two." 

The  Aard        The    Aard    Wolf  of  South  Africa,  is  the  sole 
Wolf.       genus   and    species    of   the  Protelidse  family.     It 
much    resembles   the   hyaena   in  appearance  and  habit,  and 
feeds  on  carrion  and  white  ants. 

The  Hyaena.  The  Hyaena,  though  long  treated  as  a  member 
of  the  dog  family,  is  now  separately  classified  as  the 
Hyaenidse,  a  family  of  one  genus  and  three  species,  all  of 
which  are  found  in  Africa.  The  Hysena  is  also  found  in 
Egypt,  Arabia,  Persia  and  other  parts  ot  Asia.  He  has 


THE   HY^S^A.  8l 


immensely  powerful  teeth  with  which  he  can  crush  the  bones 
of  his  victims,  apparently  eating  bones  and  flesh  with  impu- 
nity. He  is  nocturnal  in  his  habits,  living  in  caves  and 
hollows  in  the  day  time  and  prowling  about  at  night  in  search 
of  prey.  Speaking  of  the  Barbary  hygena  Bruce  says  :  —  "  He 
seems  to  be  stupid  or  senseless  in  the  day,  or  at  the  appear- 
ance of  strong  light,  unless  when  pursued  by  hunters.  I  have 
locked  up  a  goat,  a  kid,  and  a  lamb,  with  him  all  day  when 
he  was  fasting,  and  found  them  in  the  evening  alive  and 
unhurt."  The  principle  varieties  are  the  striped  Hysena,  and 
the  spotted  Hysena.  Bruce  speaking  of  the  former  says,  "  he 
is  brutish,  indolent,  slovenly  and  impudent  and  seems  to 
possess  much  the  manners  of  the  wolf.  His  courage  appears 
to  proceed  from  an  insatiable  appetite,  and  has  nothing  of 
the  brave  or  generous  in  it,  and  he  dies  oftener  flying  than  fight- 
ing." The  cry  of  the  hysena,  sometimes  called  a  laugh, 
begins  with  a  moan  and  ends  with  a  demoniacal  shriek  which 
has  been  variously  described  by  travellers  but  which  all  agree 
in  calling  hideous  and  disgusting.  In  size  he  resembles  a 
large  mastiff,  but  the  formation  of  his  neck  and  jaws  give 
him  a  power  far  beyond  that  of  other  animals  of  his  size. 
Whatever  fear  he  may  have  of  man,  he  has  none  of  other 
animals  and  will  even  face  the  lion.  Bruce  speaks  of  his 
special  liking  for  the  flesh  of  the  dog  and  of  the  dog's  reluc- 
tance to  face  him.  "  My  greyhounds,  accustomed  to  fasten 
upon  the  wild  boar,  would  not  venture  to  engage  with  him. 
On  the  contrary,  there  was  not  a  journey  I  made  that  he 
did  not  kill  several  of  my  greyhounds,  and  once  or  twice 
robbed  me  of  my  whole  stock:  he  would  seek  and  seize 
them  in  the  servants'  tents  where  they  were  tied,  and  en- 
deavour to  carry  them  away  before  the  very  people  that  were 
guarding  them."  His  coat  is  covered  with  long  coarse  hairs 
of  a  dirty  grey  colour,  which  form  a  mane  the  length  of  his 
back,  his  sides  being  striped  or  spotted,  according  to  the 
species.  The  hysena  for  all  his  repulsiveness  serves  a  useful 

6 


82  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

purpose,  as  a  scavenger,  devouring  all  the  offal  which  comes 
in  its  way,  including  the  dead  of  his  own  species  which  no 
other  animal  will  touch.  The  hysena  can  be  tamed  and 
taught  to  follow  its  master  and  to  hunt  other  animals. 

The  striped  Bruce  tells  the  following  story  of  the  impudence 
Hyaena,  of  the  striped  hyaena.  "One  night  in  Maitsha, 
being  very  intent  on  observation,  I  heard  something  pass 
behind  me  towards  the  bed,  but  upon  looking  round  could 
perceive  nothing.  Having  finished  what  I  was  then  about,  I 
went  out  of  my  tent,  resolving  directly  to  return,  which  I 
immediately  did,  when  I  perceived  large  blue  eyes  glaring  at 
me  in  the  dark.  I  called  upon  my  servant  with  a  light;  and 
there  was  the  hyaena  standing  nigh  the  head  of  the  bed,  with 
two  or  three  large  bunches  of  candles  in  his  mouth.  To  have 
fired  at  him,  I  was  in  danger  of  breaking  my  quadrant  or 
other  furniture ;  and  he  seemed,  by  keeping  the  candles  steadily 
in  his  mouth,  to  wish  for  no  other  prey  at  that  time.  As  his 
mouth  was  full,  and  he  had  no  claws  to  tear  with,  I  was  not 
afraid  of  him,  but  with  a  pike  struck  him  as  near  the  heart 
as  I  could  judge.  It  was  not  till  then  he  showed  any  sign 
of  fierceness;  but,  upon  feeling  his  wound,  he  let  drop  the 
candles,  and  endeavoured  to  run  up  the  shaft  of  the  spear 
to  arrive  at  me ;  so  that,  in  self-defence,  I  was  obliged  to  draw 
out  a  pistol  from  my  girdle  and  shoot  him,  and  nearly  at  the 
same  time  my  servant  cleft  his  skull  with  a  battle-axe.  In  a 
word,  the  hysena  was  the  plague  of  our  lives,  the  terror  of 
our  night-walks,  the  destruction  of  our  mules  and  asses,  which 
above  all  others  are  his  favourite  food." 

The  Spotted  The  spotted  hysena  belongs  to  South  Africa 
Hyaena.  an(j  seems  to  possess  more  daring  than  his  cousin 
of  Abyssinia,  and  to  show  a  greater  preference  for  human 
food.  According  to  Mr.  Stepstone,  the  Mambookies  build 
their  houses  in  the  form  of  a  beehive  from  eighteen  to  twenty 
feet  in  diameter,  placing  a  raised  platform  at  the  back  and 
leaving  the  front-area  for  the  accommodation  of  the  calves 


THE  HYJENA.  83 

at  night.  Thus  the  animals  are  nearest  to  the  door,  notwith- 
standing which  the  hyaena  will  "  pass  by  the  calves  and  take 
the  children  from  under  the  mother's  kaross ;  and  this  in  such 
a  gentle  and  cautious  manner,  that  the  poor  parent  is  uncon- 
scious of  her  loss,  until  the  cries  of  her  little  innocent  have 
reached  her  from  without,  when  it  has  been  a  close  prisoner 
in  the  jaws  of  the  monster."  Many  years  ago,  when  animals 
were  kept  at  the  Tower  of  London,  the  den  of  a  spotted 
hyaena  required  some  repair.  "The  carpenter,"  says  Mrs. 
Bowdich,  "nailed  a  thick  oaken  plank  upon  the  floor,  about 
seven  feet  long,  putting  at  least  a  dozen  nails  into  it,  each 
longer  than  his  middle  finger.  At  one  end  of  this  piece  of 
wood  there  was  a  small  projection,  and  not  having  a  proper 
chisel  with  him  by  which  he  might  remove  it,  the  man 
returned  to  his  shop  to  fetch  one.  While  he  was  absent  some 
persons  came  to  see  the  animals,  and  the  hyaena  was  let 
down  by  the  keeper  into  the  part  of  the  den  in  which  the 
carpenter  had  been  at  work.  Directly  the  beast  saw  the 
projecting  piece  of  wood  he  seized  it  with  his  teeth,  tore  the 
plank  up,  and  drew  out  every  nail  with  the  utmost  ease; 
which  action  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the  muscular  strength 
of  this  creature." 

A  Narrow  Sparrman  tells  an  amusing  story  of  the  daring 
scape.  an(j  ^  fj.ignt  Of  a  hyaena,  as  follows:  "One 
night,  at  a  feast  near  the  Cape,  a  trumpeter  who  had  made 
himself  drunk  with  liquor  was  carried  out  of  doors  and  laid 
on  the  grass,  in  order  that  the  air  might  both  cool  and 
sober  him.  The  scent  of  the  man  soon  attracted  a  spotted 
hyaena,  which  threw  him  on  his  back,  and  carried  him  away 
towards  Table  Mountain.  The  hyaena  doubtless  supposed 
that  the  senseless  drunkard  was  a  corpse,  and  consequently 
a  fair  prize.  In  the  meantime  the  musician  awoke,  and 
was  at  once  sufficiently  sensible  to  know  the  danger  of  his 
situation,  and  to  sound  the  alarm  with  his  trumpet,  which 
he  fortunately  carried  at  his  side.  The  hyaena,  as  it  may  be 


84  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

imagined,  was  greatly  frightened  in  its  turn,  and  immediatelj 
ran  away,  leaving  the  trumpeter,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  'a  wiser 
man'  for  his  extraordinary  ride.  It  is  remarkable  that  the 
soldier  was  not  seriously  injured  by  the  hyasna,  for  the  teeth 
of  the  animal  were  fortunately  fastened  in  the  coat  and  not 
in  the  flesh  of  the  man." 

Animals  of  Animals  of  the  dog  kind,  are  neither  so 
the  Dog  Kind,  numerous,  nor,  in  general,  so  ferocious  as  those 
of  the  panther  or  cat  kind.  The  principal  species  are  the 
wolf,  the  jackal,  the  fox,  and  the  dog.  This  class  may  be 
principally  distinguished  by  their  claws,  which  have  no  sheath 
like  those  of  the  cat  kind,  but  are  placed  at  the  point  of 
each  toe,  without  the  capability  of  being  stretched  forward 
or  drawn  back.  The  nose,  as  well  as  the  jaw,  of  all  the 
dog  kind,  is  longer  than  in  the  cat;  the  body  in  proportion 
more  strongly  made,  and  covered  with  hair  instead  of  fur. 
They  also  far  exceed  the  other  kind  in  the  sense  of  smell, 
the  olfactory  nerves  being  diffused  upon  a  very  extensive 
membrane  within  the  skull,  which  accounts  for  their  sur- 
prising acuteness  in  this  sense. 

The  "Wolf.  The  Wolf  is  about  three  feet  and  a  half  long, 
and  about  two  feet  and  a  half  high,  larger  than  our  great 
breed  of  mastiffs,  which  are  seldom  more  than  three  feet  by 
two.  He  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  the  dog,  but  is  much 
stronger,  and  the  length  of  his  hair  contributes  still  more  to 
his  robust  appearance.  The  feature  which  principally  distin- 
guishes the  visage  of  the  wolf  from  that  of  the  dog,  is  the 
eye,  which  opens  slantingly  upwards  in  the  same  direction 
with  the  nose;  whereas,  in  the  dog,  it  opens  more  at  right 
angles  with  the  nose,  as  in  man.  The  colour  of  the  eyeballs 
in  the  wolf,  is  a  fiery  green,  giving  his  visage  a  fierce  and 
formidable  air.  He  generally  hides  by  day  in  the  thickest 
coverts,  and  only  ventures  out  at  night;  when,  sallying  forth 
over  the  country,  he  keeps  peering  round  the  villages,  and 
carries  off  such  animals  as  are  not  under  protection — attacks 


ANIMALS  OF  THE  DOG  KIND.  85 

the  sheep-fold,  scratches  up  and  undermines  the  thresholds 
of  doors  where  the  sheep  are  housed,  enters  furiously,  and 
destroys  all  before  he  begins  to  fix  upon  and  carry  off  his 
prey.  T.he  wolf  has  great  strength,  particularly  in  his  foreparts, 
and  the  muscles  of  his  neck  and  jaws.  He  carries  off  a  sheep 
in  his  mouth  without  letting  it  touch  the  ground,  and  runs  with 
it  much  faster  than  the  shepherds  who  pursue  him ;  so  that  no- 
thing but  the  dogs  can  overtake  and  oblige  him  to  quit  his  prey. 
Notwithstanding  his  great  strength,  cunning,  and  agility,  the 
wolf  being  the  declared  enemy  of  man,  is  often  hard  pressed 
for  subsistence ;  he  has  always  a  gaunt  and  starved  appearance, 
and,  indeed,  often  dies  of  hunger.  He  has  been  hunted 
down,  and  is  now  rarely  to  be  found  in  civilized  countries. 
The  Pox.  The  Fox  is  of  a  much  more  slender  make  than 
the  wolf,  and  not  nearly  so  large,  being  little  more  than  two 
feet  long.  The  tail  is  longer  and  more  bushy,  the  nose 
smaller,  approaching  nearer  to  that  of  the  greyhound,  and  its 
hair  softer.  Its  eyes,  however,  are  obliquely  set,  like  those 
of  the  wolf.  The  fox  has  long  been  famous  for  cunning; 
he  is  patient  and  prudent,  and  gains  by  address  what  is 
denied  to  his  courage  or  strength.  He  is  most  destructive 
to  poultry.  When  he  gets  into  a  farm-yard,  he  begins  by 
levelling  all  the  poultry  without  remorse,  and  carrying  off  a 
part  of  the  spoil,  he  hides  it  at  some  convenient  distance. 
Returning,  he  carries  off  another  fowl,  which  he  hides  in  like 
manner,  but  not  in  the  same  place ;  and  this  he  repeats  several 
times,  until  the  approach  of  day,  or  the  noise  of  the  domestics, 
warns  him  to  retire  to  his  hole.  He  often  destroys  a  large 
quantity  of  game,  seizing  the  partridge  and  quail  while  sitting 
on  their  nests.  He  even  eats  rats,  mice,  serpents,  toads, 
and  lizards.  In  vain  does  the  hedge-hog  roll  itself  up  into 
a  ball  to  oppose  him ;  he  teases  it  until  it  is  obliged  to  appear 
uncovered,  and  then  devours  it.  Besides  the  common  Fox 
\Vulpes  Vulgaris\  there  are  numerous  varieties,  of  which  the 
Tahaleb  or  Egyptian  Fox  and  the  Fennec  (Feneca  Zaarensis) 


86  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

of  North  Africa,  the  Kit  Fox,  the  Red,  the  Grey  and  the 
Silver  Fox  of  North  America,  and  the  Arctic  Fox  (Leucocyon 
lagopus)  are  the  best  known. 

The  JackaL  The  Jackal,  one  of  the  most  common  of  wild 
animals  in  the  East,  is  about  the  size  of  the  fox,  but 
in  shape  it  more  nearly  resembles  the  wolf.  Its  colour  is  a 
bright  yellow,  or  sorrel.  Its  cry  is  a  howl,  mixed  with  barking, 
and  a  lamentation  resembling  that  of  human  distress.  The 
jackal  may  be  considered  as  the  vulture  of  the  quadruped 
kind;  the  most  putrid  substances  that  once  had  life,  are 
greedily  devoured.  Like  the  hyaena,  the  jackals  scratch  up 
with  their  feet  the  new-made  grave,  and  devour  the  contents, 
however  decomposed.  While  at  this  dreary  work,  they  make 
a  mournful  cry,  like  that  of  children  under  chastisement,  and 
having  thus  dug  up  the  body,  they  amicably  share  it.  In 
countries,  therefore,  where  they  abound,  the  people  are  obliged 
to  beat  the  earth  over  the  grave,  and  mix  it  with  thorns,  to 
prevent  the  jackals  from  scraping  it  away.  The  jackal  never 
goes  alone,  but  always  in  packs  of  forty  or  fifty  together. 
They  watch  the  burying-grounds,  follow  armies,  and  keep  in 
the  rear  of  caravans.  The  jackal,  after  having  tired  down  its 
prey,  is  often  deprived  of  the  spoil  by  the  lion,  the  panther, 
or  the  tiger,  whose  appetites  are  superior  to  their  swiftness ; 
these  attend  its  call,  and  devour  the  prey  which  it  has  run 
down  by  its  unceasing  perseverance;  and  this  circumstance 
has  given  rise  to  the  erroneous  opinion,  that  the  jackal  is  the 
lion's  provider.  The  jackal  is  found  in  some  parts  of  Europe 
and  abounds  in  most  parts  of  Asia.  Those  of  the  warmest 
climates  are  the  largest,  and  their  colour  is  rather  of  a  reddish 
brown  than  of  that  beautiful  yellow  by  which  the  smaller 
jackals  are  distinguished.  Like  the  Fox  it  forms  burrows  in 
the  earth  and  emits  an  offensive  odour. 

The  Woir«  "  The  Wolf,"  says  Professor  Duncan  in  "  Cassell's 
Mode  of  Natural  History",  "  usually  lives  in  solitary  places 
Attack.  ^  mountains;  but  in  Spain  he  is  said  sometimes 


THE  WOLF.  87 

to  make  his  lair  in  corn-fields,  in  close  proximity  to  inhabi- 
tated  dwellings.  Here  he  lives  with  his  wife  and  family, 
usually  cache  during  the  day,  and  issuing  forth  at  night  to 
take  his  prey.  During  the  warmer  periods  of  the  year  wolves, 
as  a  rule,  hunt  each  one  for  himself,  but  in  winter  they  often 
unite  into  great  packs,  and  pursue  their  prey  over  the  snow 
at  a  rapid  pace  and  with  indomitable  perseverance.  Swift 
and  untiring  must  be  the  animal  which,  on  an  open  plain, 
can  escape  from  them;  even  the  horse,  perfectly  constructed 
as  he  is  for  rapid  running,  is  almost  certain  to  succumb, 
unless  he  can  reach  a  village  before  his  pace  begins  to  flag. 
They  never  spring  upon  an  animal  from  an  ambush — the 
nearest  approach  ever  made  to  such  a  mode  of  attack  being 
their  practice  of  attacking  sheepfolds  by  leaping  into  the 
midst  of  the  flock  and  killing  right  and  left;  when  they 
reach  their  prey,  too,  the  first  onslaught  is  made  with  their 
teeth,  and  never  by  a  blow  of  the  paw.  Thus,  a  wolfs 
attack — like  that  of  all  members  of  the  genus  Canis — is 
entirely  different  from  a  cat's.  The  cat  lies  in  ambush  all 
alone,  springs  upon  the  passing  prey,  which  if  he  misses  he 
scarcely  ever  pursues,  and  kills  by  a  blow  of  the  paw.  The 
dog  and  wolf  attack  openly,  sometimes  alone,  but  oftener  in 
company,  pursue  their  prey  with  unflagging  energy  until  it 
falls  a  victim,  and  give  the  death-wound  at  once  with  their 
teeth." 

The  Wolfs  That  the  wolf  sometimes  employs  cunning  as 
Cunning  wey  as  savagery  in  seeking  his  prey  is  shown  by 
the  following  story  from  "  Broke's  Travels  in  the  North  of 
Sweden  " :  "  I  observed,  on  setting  out  from  Sormjole,  the  last 
post,  that  the  peasant  who  drove  my  sledge  was  armed  with 
a  cutlass;  and,  on  inquiring  the  reason,  was  told  that,  the 
day  preceding,  while  he  was  passing  in  his  sledge  the  part 
of  the  forest  we  were  then  in,  he  had  encountered  a  wolf, 
which  was  so  daring,  that  it  actually  sprang  over  the  hinder 
part  of  the  sledge  he  was  driving,  and  attempted  to  carry  off 


88  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

a  small  dog  which  was  sitting  behind  him.  During  my  journey 
from  Tornea  to  Stockholm,  I  heard  everywhere  of  the  ravages 
committed  by  wolves,  not  upon  the  human  species  or  the 
cattle,  but  chiefly  upon  the  peasants'  dogs,  considerable  num- 
bers of  which  had  been  devoured.  I  was  told  that  these 
were  the  favourite  prey  of  this  animal ;  and  that,  in  order  to 
seize  upon  them  with  the  greater  ease,  it  puts  itself  into  a 
crouching  posture,  and  begins  to  play  several  antic  tricks,  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  poor  dog,  which,  caught  by  these 
seeming  demonstrations  of  friendship,  and  fancying  it  to  be 
one  of  his  own  species,  from  the  similarity,  advances  towards 
it  to  join  in  the  gambols,  and  is  carried  off  by  its  treacherous 
enemy.  Several  peasants  that  I  conversed  with  mentioned 
their  having  been  eye-witnesses  of  this  circumstance." 
The  Wolfs  Mr.  Lloyd  in  his  "  Field  Sports  in  the  North 
Cowardice.  of  Europe"  gives  a  remarkable  illustration  of 
the  cowardice  of  the  wolf  when  caught  in  a  trap.  "A 
peasant  near  St.  Petersburg,"  says  Mr.  Lloyd,  "when  one 
day  in  his  sledge,  was  pursued  by  eleven  of  these  ferocious 
animals.  At  this  time  he  was  only  about  two  miles  from 
home,  towards  which  he  urged  his  horse  at  the  very  top  of 
his  speed.  At  the  entrance  to  his  residence  was  a  gate,  which 
happened  to  be  closed  at  the  time;  but  the  horse  dashed 
this  open,  and  thus  himself  and  his  master  found  refuge 
within  the  court-yard.  They  were  followed,  however,  by 
nine  out  of  the  eleven  wolves;  but,  very  fortunately,  at  the 
instant  these  had  entered  the  enclosure,  the  gate  swung  back 
on  its  hinges,  and  thus  they  were  caught  as  in  a  trap.  From 
being  the  most  voracious  of  animals,  the  nature  of  these 
beasts — now  that  they  found  escape  impossible — became  com- 
pletely changed:  so  far,  indeed,  from  offering  molestation  to 
any  one,  they  slunk  into  holes  and  corners,  and  allowed 
themselves  to  be  slaughtered  almost  without  making  resistance." 
Hunted  by  Many  terrible  stories  are  told  of  the  depreda- 
Woivea.  tions  caused  by  packs  of  wolves,  especially  in 


THE  WOLF.  89 

Russia,  and  of  the  desperate  adventures  travellers  have  met 
with  when  attacked  by  them.  The  story  of  the  Russian 
peasant,  who,  to  save  his  master's  family,  leaped  out  of  the 
sledge  and  faced  the  pack  alone,  thus  delaying  the  wolves 
by  his  own  self-sacrifice,  while  the  sledge  proceeded  on  its 
journey,  is  one  of  these.  In  contrast  to  this  is  the  story  of 
the  Russian  woman,  given  by  Mr.  Lloyd  in  the  work  already 
quoted. 

A  Terrible  A  woman,  accompanied  by  three  of  her  children, 
Alternative.  was  one  day  m  a  sledge,  when  they  were  pur- 
sued by  a  number  of  wolves.  She  put  the  horse  into  a 
gallop,  and  drove  towards  her  home  with  the  utmost  speed. 
She  was  not  far  from  it;  but  the  ferocious  animals  gained 
upon  her,  and  were  on  the  point  of  rushing  on  to  the  sledge. 
For  the  preservation  of  her  own  life  and  that  of  the  remaining 
children,  the  poor,  frantic  creature  cast  one  of  them  to  her 
bloodthirsty  pursuers.  This  stopped  their  career  for  a  moment; 
but,  after  devouring  the  poor  child,  they  renewed  the  pursuit, 
and  a  second  time  came  up  with  the  vehicle.  The  mother, 
driven  to  desperation,  resorted  to  the  same  horrible  expedient, 
and  threw  another  of  her  offspring  to  her  ferocious  assailants. 
The  third  child  was  also  sacrificed  in  the  same  way,  and 
soon  after  the  wretched  being  reached  her  home  in  safety. 
Here  she  related  what  had  happened,  and  endeavoured  to 
palliate  her  own  conduct  by  describing  the  dreadful  alterna- 
tive to  which  she  had  been  reduced.  A  peasant,  however, 
who  was  among  the  bystanders,  and  heard  the  recital,  took 
up  an  axe,  and  with  one  blow  cleft  her  skull  in  two,  saying 
at  the  same  time,  "that  a  mother  who  could  thus  sacrifice 
her  children  for  the  preservation  of  her  own  life,  was  no 
longer  fit  to  live."  The  man  was  committed  to  prison,  but 
the  Emperor  subsequently  granted  him  a  pardon, 
a.  Marvellous  Equally  terrible  and  more  marvellous  is  the 
Escape,  story  of  the  adventure  of  a  Russian  family  which 
took  place  as  recently  as  the  winter  of  1894 — 5.  A  peasant 


90         .         NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

was  riding  in  a  sleigh  in  company  with  his  wife  and  child, 
when  he  became  aware  that  they  were  being  pursued  by 
wolves.  He  urged  the  horses  to  their  utmost  speed  but  it 
soon  became  evident  that  the  wolves  would  overtake  them 
before  they  could  reach  a  place  of  safety.  Urged  to  des- 
peration, the  peasant  ordered  his  wife  to  throw  the  child  to 
the  wolves,  hoping  thereby  to  gain  time  and  thus  escape. 
The  wife  refused  to  part  with  her  little  one,  whereupon  an 
altercation  ensued,  during  which  the  peasant  tried  to  drag 
the  child  from  her  arms  with  a  view  to  throwing  it  to  the 
wolves  himself.  In  the  struggle  both  mother  and  child  fell 
from  the  vehicle,  and  with  a  lightened  load  the  horses 
dashed  forward  at  an  even  greater  speed.  For  some  ap- 
parently unaccountable  reason,  however,  the  wolves  took  no 
notice  of  the  mother  and  child  and  continued  to  pursue  the 
sleigh,  possibly  anticipating  the  larger  meal  that  the  horses 
would  supply.  In  this  they  were  not  disappointed,  for  they 
succeeded  in  overtaking  the  sleigh,  and  the  peasant  and  the 
horses  fell  victims  to  their  ravage.  In  the  meantime  the  mother 
and  child  found  their  way  to  a  farm  house  where  they  were 
sheltered  until  danger  was  past. 

Tame  Notwithstanding     his     natural    fierceness,    the 

Wolves.  woif  becomes  tame  under  kindly  treatment,  and 
shows  much  affection  for  those  who  cherish  him.  Instances 
are  common  in  which  wolves  have  remembered  their  bene- 
factors, after  years  of  absence,  and  have  shown  every  demon- 
stration of  joy  on  recognition.  They  have  even  been  har- 
nessed and  taught  to  draw  carriages  and  to  fulfil  other  useful 
offices.  With  wolves,  as  with  many  other  animals,  hunger 
and  thirst  are  apparently  the  principal  causes  of  savagery 
and  the  struggle  for  existence  the  main  cause  of  rapacity  and 
cruelty. 

The  Cunning      The   cunning   of  the   fox   is  proverbial  and  if 

of  the  Fox.  oniy   one   half  of  the  stories  told  about  him  are 

true,  there  are  quite  sufficient  to  invest  him  with  a  degree  of 


THE  FOX.  91 

artfulness  which  is  apparently  unique.  The  extraordinary 
way  in  which  he  will  feign  himself  dead,  whether  when 
hunting  or  being  hunted,  is  a  proof  of  this,  as  are  also  the 
various  tricks  he  will  resort  to,  to  throw  his  pursuers  off  the 
scent  Captain  Brown  tells  a  story  of  a  fox  who  leapt  a 
high  wall  and  crouched  under  it  on  the  further  side  until 
the  hounds  had  passed  over,  and  then  quietly  returned,  giving 
them  the  slip.  Another  fox  who  suddenly  baffled  two  blood 
hounds  who  were  in  hot  pursuit,  was  discovered  lying  full 
length  upon  a  log  of  wood  from  which  at  first  it  was  difficult 
to  distinguish  him.  When  feigning  death  he  is  said  some- 
times to  hold  his  breath  and  hang  out  his  tongue.  He  will 
sometimes  baffle  his  pursuers  by  hanging  on  to  a  branch  of 
a  tree. 

The  FOX  as  »  Mr.  St.  John  tells  the  following  story  of  the 
Hunter.  fox  as  a  hunter: — 'Just  after  it  was  daylight 
I  saw  a  large  fox  come  very  quietly  along  the  edge  of  the 
plantation.  He  looked  with  great  care  over  the  turf  wall 
into  the  field,  and  seemed  to  long  very  much  to  get  hold  of 
some  of  the  hares  that  were  feeding  in  it,  but  apparently 
knew  that  he  had  no  chance  of  catching  one  by  dint  of 
running.  After  considering  a  short  time,  he  seemed  to  have 
formed  his  plans,  examined  the  different  gaps  in  the  wall, 
fixed  upon  one  which  appeared  to  be  most  frequented,  and 
laid  himself  down  close  to  it  in  an  attitude  like  that  of  a  cat 
at  a  mouse  hole.  In  the  meantime  I  watched  all  his  plans. 
He  then  with  great  care  and  silence  scraped  a  small  hollow 
in  the  ground,  throwing  up  the  sand  as  a  kind  of  screen. 
Every  now  and  then,  however,  he  stopped  to  listen,  and 
sometimes  to  take  a  most  cautious  peep  into  the  field.  When 
he  had  done  this,  he  laid  himself  down  in  a  convenient 
posture  for  springing  on  his  prey,  and  remained  perfectly 
motionless,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  reconnoitre 
of  the  feeding  hares.  When  the  sun  began  to  rise,  they 
came,  one  by  one,  from  the  field  to  the  plantation:  three 


92  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN    ANECDOTE. 

had  already  come  without  passing  by  his  ambush,  one  within 
twenty  yards  of  him;  but  he  made  no  movement  beyond 
crouching  still  more  flatly  to  the  ground.  Presently  two  came 
directly  towards  him,  and  though  he  did  not  venture  to  look 
up,  I  saw,  by  an  involuntary  motion  of  his  ear,  that  those 
quick  organs  had  already  warned  him  of  their  approach. 
The  two  hares  came  through  the  gap  together  and  the  fox, 
springing  with  the  quickness  of  lightning,  caught  one  and 
killed  her  immediately;  he  then  lifted  up  his  booty  and  was 
carrying  it  off,  when  my  rifle-ball  stopped  his  course." 
A  Fox  Hunt.  Captain  Brown  tells  an  amusing  story  of  the 
resource  shown  by  a  fox  who  was  hard  pressed  near 
Tamary,  Ireland,  which  is  as  follows.  "After  a  short  chase, 
Reynard  disappeared,  having  cunningly  mounted  a  turf  stack, 
on  the  top  of  which  he  lay  down  flat.  Finding  himself,  at 
last,  perceived  by  one  of  the  hounds,  he  left  his  retreat, 
closely  pursued  by  the  pack,  ran  up  a  stone  wall,  from  which 
he  sprang  on  the  roof  of  an  adjoining  cabin,  and  mounted 
to  the  chimney-top.  From  that  elevated  situation  he  looked 
all  around  him,  as  if  carefully  reconnoitring  the  coming 
enemy.  A  cunning  old  hound  approached,  and,  having 
gained  the  summit  of  the  roof,  had  already  seized  the  fox 
in  imagination,  when,  lo !  Reynard  dropped  down  the  chimney, 
like  a  fallen  star  into  a  draw-well.  The  dog  looked  wist- 
fully down  the  dark  opening,  but  dared  not  pursue  the  fugitive. 
Meantime,  whilst  the  hound  was  eagerly  inspecting  the 
smoky  orifice  of  the  chimney,  Reynard,  half  enrobed  in  soot, 
had  fallen  into  the  lap  of  an  old  woman,  who,  surrounded 
by  a  number  of  children,  was  gravely  smoking  her  pipe,  not 
at  all  expecting  the  entrance  of  this  abrupt  visitor.  '  Emiladh 
deouil!'  said  the  affrighted  female,  as  she  threw  from  her 
the  black  and  red  quadruped:  Reynard  grinned,  growled, 
and  showed  his  fangs;  and  when  the  sportsmen,  who  had 
secured  the  door,  entered,  they  found  him  in  possession  of 
the  kitchen,  the  old  woman  and  the  children  having  retired, 


WILD   DOGS.  93 

in  terror  of  the  invader,  to  a  corner  of  the  room.  The  fox 
was  taken  alive." 

The  Arctic  The  Arctic  Fox  which  is  of  a  beautiful  white 
Fox.  colour  is  found,  according  to  Captain  James  Ross, 
in  the  highest  northern  latitudes,  even  in  the  winter.  In  the 
late  autumn  the  younger  generation  make  their  way  south 
and  congregate  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Hudson's  Bay, 
returning  north  in  the  early  spring  of  the  following  year.  They 
are  gregarious,  living  in  companies  in  burrows  in  sandy  places. 

"Wild  Dogs.  Wild  dogs  abound  in  various  parts  of  the  world, 
of  which  the  Dingos  of  Australia,  the  Dholes  of  India  and 
the  Aguaras  of  South  America  are  examples.  The  wild  dogs 
of  the  East  are  familiar  to  all  readers  of  Eastern  travels.  A 
writer  in  the  Times  newspaper  describes  the  dogs  of  Con- 
stantinople, as  "  omnipresent,  lawless,  yet  perfectly  harmless 
dogs,"  which  perform  valuable  but  ill  requited  service  as 
scavengers  of  the  city.  He  says: — "In  shape,  in  counte- 
nance, in  language,  in  their  bandy  legs,  pointed  noses,  pricked 
up  ears,  dirty  yellow  coats,  and  bushy  tails,  they  could  be 
hunted  as  foxes  in  Gloucestershire.  They  are,"  he  continues, 
"  up  and  doing  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  and  enjoy  the  refresh- 
ment of  well-earned,  profound  sleep  almost  throughout  the 
day.  They  are  not  only  homeless  and  masterless  but  have 
also  a  sovereign  contempt  for  bed  or  shelter.  There  is  a  time 
it  would  seem,  when  sleep  comes  upon  them — all  of  them — 
like  sudden  death;  when  all  squat  down,  coil  themselves  up, 
nose  to  tail,  wherever  they  chance  to  be — on  the  footpath, 
in  the  carriage  way,  in  the  gutter — and  there  lie  in  the 
sunshine,  in  the  pelting  rain,  yellow  bundles,  hardly  distin- 
guishable from  the  mud.  The  Constantinople  dog  never 
learns  to  wag  his  tail;  he  never  makes  up,  never  looks  up 
to  a  human  being,  never  encourages  or  even  notices  men's 
advances.  He  is  not  exactly  sullen,  or  cowed,  or  mistrust- 
ful; he  is  simply  cold  and  distant  as  an  Englishman  is  said 
to  be  when  not  introduced." 


94  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN    ANECDOTE. 

"The  Dingo,  the  wild  dog  of  Australia,"  says  Mrs.  Bowdich 
"roams  in  packs  through  that  vast  country;  has  a  broad 
head;  fierce  oblique  eyes;  acute  muzzle;  short,  pointed, 
erect  ears;  tail  bushy,  and  never  raised  to  more  than  a 
horizontal  position.  He  does  not  bark,  but  howls  fearfully;  is 
extremely  sagacious,  and  has  a  remarkable  power  of  bearing 
pain.  When  beaten  so  severely  as  to  be  left  for  dead, 
he  has  been  seen  to  get  up  and  run  away.  A  man  pro- 
ceeded to  skin  one,  not  doubting  that  life  was  extinct, 
and  after  proceeding  a  little  way  with  the  operation,  he 
left  the  hut  to  sharpen  his  knife.  When  he  returned,  the 
poor  animal  was  sitting  up,  with  the  loose  skin  hanging  over 
one  side  of  his  face."  The  Dhole  of  India,  similarly  hunts  in 
packs,  attacking  and  destroying  even  the  tiger.  Their  sense 
of  smell  is  very  acute,  their  bark  similar  to  that  of  a  hound, 
their  colour  red  or  sandy.  They  have  long  heads,  oblique 
eyes,  long  erect  ears;  and  very  powerful  limbs.  The  Aguaras 
of  South  America,  says  Mrs.  Bowdich,  resemble  foxes.  "  They 
are  silent  if  not  dumb,  and  appear  to  congregate  in  families 
rather  than  packs.  They  have  a  peculiar  propensity  to  steal 
and  secrete  without  any  apparent  object  in  so  doing." 

The  Dog.  The  dog  divides  with  the  horse  the  honour  of 
being  the  most  intimate  and  devoted  of  the  servants  of 
mankind.  "  His  origin, "  says  Mr.  Jesse  "  is  lost  in  antiquity. 
We  find  him  occupying  a  place  in  the  earliest  pagan  worship; 
his  name  has  been  given  to  one  of  the  first-mentioned  stars 
of  the  heavens,  and  his  effigy  may  be  seen  in  some  of  the 
most  ancient  works  of  art.  Pliny  was  of  opinion  that  there 
was  no  domestic  animal  without  its  unsubdued  counterpart, 
and  dogs  are  known  to  exist  absolutely  wild  in  various  parts 
of  the  old  and  new  world."  Whether  the  dog  of  civilization 
is  a  descendant  of  these  wild  dogs,  or  whether  the  wild  dog 
is  the  progeny  of  domestic  varieties  relapsed  into  a  condition 
of  savagery,  and  whether  both  are  descended  from  the  wolf 
and  the  jackal  has  often  been  discussed.  Certain  it  is  that 


DOMESTIC  DOGS.  95 

many  of  the  species  which  now  obtain  are  in  certain  charac- 
teristics at  least  the  result  of  artificial  breeding.  In  its  do- 
mestic state,  the  dog  is  remarkable  for  its  usefulness,  obedience, 
and  attachment  to  its  master;  and  the  great  variety  of  breeds 
that  are  trained  and  educated  for  our  benefit  or  amusement, 
are  almost  too  numerous  to  be  mentioned.  The  principal 
are,  the  greyhound,  noted  for  his  speed;  the  Newfoundland 
dog,  remarkable  for  his  size,  sagacity,  and  benevolence;  the 
shepherd's  dog,  perhaps  the  most  useful  of  all;  the  spaniel,  the 
barbel,  and  the  setter,  useful  in  hunting;  the  pointer,  the 
staunch est  of  all  dogs;  the  Dalmatian  or  coach-dog,  with  a 
skin  beautifully  spotted;  the  terrier,  useful  for  destroying  ver- 
min; the  blood-hound,  formerly  used  for  tracing  criminals;  the 
harrier,  beagle,  and  foxhound,  distinguished  for  their  quick 
sense  of  smell;  and  the  bull-dog,  and  mastiff,  which  are  our 
watch-dogs. 

The  Dog's  Un-  Many  marvellous  instances  are  on  record  of  the 
derstanding.  dog's  capacity  for  understanding  not  only  the 
direct  commands  of  his  master,  to  which  of  course  he  may 
be  easily  trained,  but  also,  sometimes,  the  drift  of  conver- 
sations in  which  his  master  may  engage. 

The  Rev.  James  Simpson  of  Edinburgh  had  a  fine  New- 
foundland dog  of  which  some  good  stories  are  told.  On  one 
occasion,  however,  Mr.  Simpson  happening  to  remark  to  a 
friend  in  the  dog's  hearing  that,  as  he  was  about  to  change 
his  residence,  he  would  have  to  part  with  his  dog,  the  dog 
took  the  hint,  left  the  house  and  was  never  heard  of  again. 
Sheep  dogs  have  been  known  to  take  very  apparent  interest 
in  conversations  upon  the  subject  of  their  profession,  and  to 
anticipate  the  word  of  command  by  their  perception  of  the 
drift  of  the  remarks.  Mr.  St.  John,  in  his  "  Highland  Sports  ", 
gives  a  remarkable  illustration  of  the  way  in  which  a  shepherd's 
dog  understood  the  conversation  of  his  master: — "A  shepherd 
once,  to  prove  the  quickness  of  his  dog,  who  was  lying  before 
the  fire  in  the  house  where  we  were  talking,  said  to  me,  in  the 


96  NATURAL  HISTORY  EN  ANECDOTE. 

middle  of  a  sentence  concerning  something  else,  'I'm  think- 
ing, sir,  the  cow  is  in  the  potatoes.'  Though  he  purposely 
laid  no  stress  on  these  words,  and  said  them  in  a  quiet, 
unconcerned  tone  of  voice,  the  dog,  who  appeared  to  be 
asleep,  immediately  jumped  up,  and  leaping  through  the 
open  window,  scrambled  up  the  turf  roof  of  the  house,  from 
which  he  could  see  the  potato  field.  He  then  (not  seeing 
the  cow  there)  ran  and  looked  into  the  byre,  where  she  was, 
and  finding  that  all  was  right,  came  back  to  the  house. 
After  a  short  time  the  shepherd  said  the  same  words  again, 
and  the  dog  repeated  his  look-out;  but  on  the  false  alarm 
being  a  third  time  given,  the  dog  got  up,  and  wagging  his 
tail,  looked  his  master  in  the  face  with  so  comical  an  expres- 
sion of  interrogation,  that  we  could  not  help  laughing  aloud 
at  him,  on  which,  with  a  slight  growl,  he  laid  himself  down 
in  his  warm  corner,  with  an  offended  air,  as  if  determined 
not  to  be  made  a  fool  of  again." 

The  well  known  story  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  dog,  supplied 
by  him  to  Captain  Brown,  is  another  illustration.  "The 
wisest  dog  I  ever  had,"  said  Sir  Walter,  "  was  what  is  called 
the  bull-dog  terrier.  I  taught  him  to  understand  a  great 
many  words,  insomuch  that  I  am  positive  that  the  commu- 
nication betwixt  the  canine  species  and  ourselves  might  be 
greatly  enlarged.  Camp  once  bit  the  baker,  who  was  bring- 
ing bread  to  the  family.  I  beat  him,  and  explained  the 
enormity  of  his  offence;  after  which,  to  the  last  moment  of 
h!s  life,  he  never  heard  the  least  allusion  to  the  story,  in 
whatever  voice  or  tone  it  was  mentioned,  without  getting  up 
and  retiring  into  the  darkest  comer  of  the  room,  with  great 
appearance  of  distress.  Then  if  you  said,  'the  baker  was 
well  paid,'  or,  'the  baker  was  not  hurt  after  all,'  Camp  came 
forth  from  his  hiding-place,  capered,  and  barked,  and  rejoiced. 
When  he  was  unable,  towards  the  end  of  his  life,  to  attend 
me  when  on  horseback,  he  used  to  watch  for  my  return, 
and  the  servant  would  tell  him  '  his  master  was  coming  down 


THE  DOG'S  SENSE  OF  LOCALITY.  97 

the  hill,  or  through  the  moor,'  and  although  he  did  not  use 
any  gesture  to  explain  his  meaning,  Camp  was  never  known 
to  mistake  him,  but  either  went  out  at  the  front  to  go  up 
the  hill,  or  at  the  back  to  get  down  to  the  moor-side.  He 
certainly  had  a  singular  knowledge  of  spoken  language." 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  illustrations  of  the  dog's 
capacity  for  understanding  is  probably  that  given  by  Mrs. 
Bowdich,  as  follows: 

"Professor  Owen  was  walking  with  a  friend,  by  the  side 
of  a  river,  near  its  mouth,  on  the  coast  of  Cornwall,  and 
picked  up  a  small  piece  of  sea- weed.  It  was  covered  with 
minute  animals;  and  Mr.  Owen  observed  to  his  companion^ 
throwing  the  weed  into  the  water,  '  If  this  small  piece  affords 
so  many  treasures,  how  microscopically  rich  the  whole  plant 
must  be !  I  should  much  like  to  have  one.'  The  gentle- 
men walked  on,  but  hearing  a  splashing  in  the  water,  turned 
round,  and  saw  it  violently  agitated.  'It  is  Lion!'  both 
exclaimed;  'what  can  he  be  about?  He  was  walking  quietly 
enough  by  our  side  a  minute  ago.'  At  one  moment  they 
saw  his  tail  above  the  water,  then  his  head  raised  for  a 
breath  of  air,  then  the  surrounding  element  shook  again, 
and  at  last  he  came  ashore,  panting  from  his  exertions,  and 
laid  a  whole  plant  of  the  identical  weed  at  Mr.  Owen's  feet. 
After  this  proof  of  intelligence,  it  will  not  be  wondered  at, 
that  when  Lion  was  joyfully  expecting  to  accompany  his 
master  and  his  guest  on  an  excursion,  and  was  told  to  go 
and  take  care  of  and  comfort  Mrs.  Owen,  who  was  ill,  he 
should  immediately  return  to  the  drawing-room  and  lay  him- 
self by  her  side,  which  he  never  left  during  the  absence  of 
his  owner,  his  countenance  alone  betraying  his  disappoint- 
ment, and  that  only  for  a  few  minutes." 
The  Dog's  Sense  Dogs  have  a  remarkable  sense  of  locality, 

of  Locality.       an(j    wju    gn(j    fa^  way  to  a  Spot  they  have 

once  visited  with  an  unerring  instinct  under  circumstances 
which  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  rely  entirely  upon  their 

7 


Q8  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

sense  of  scent.  Some  of  the  stories  told  of  the  extraordinary 
journeys  made  by  dogs,  apparently  without  anything  to  guide 
them  but  their  natural  instinct,  seem  almost  incredible. 

Captain  Brown  tells  a  story  of  a  gentleman  of  Glasgow,  who 
was  unfortunately  drowned  in  the  river  Oder  while  bathing 
during  a  continental  tour.  A  Newfoundland  dog,  who  was  his 
travelling  companion,  made  every  effort  to  save  him,  but 
failing  to  do  so,  found  his  way  either  to  Frankfort,  or  Ham- 
burgh, where  he  went  on  board  a  vessel  bound  for  England, 
from  which  he  landed  somewhere  on  the  coast,  finding  his 
way  ultimately  to  the  person  from  whom  he  had  been  origin- 
ally purchased,  and  who  lived  near  Holyrood  palace. 

Another  dog  who,  on  arriving  in  England  from  Newfound- 
land, was  given  to  a  gentleman  in  London,  was  sent  by  him 
to  a  friend  in  Scotland,  by  water.  The  dog,  however,  made 
his  escape  and  found  his  way  back  to  his  old  master  at  Fish 
Street  Hill,  London,  though  as  Mr.  Jesse  puts  it  "in  so 
exhausted  a  state  that  he  could  only  express  his  joy  at  seeing 
his  master  and  then  die." 

This  instinct  seems  to  be  common  to  many  varieties  of 
dogs.  Captain  Brown  tells  of  a  Dalmatian  or  coach-dog 
which  Lord  Maynard  lost  in  France,  and  which  he  found 
at  his  house  on  his  return  to  England,  though  how  it 
had  got  there  he  never  could  trace.  It  is  not  necessary, 
says  Captain  Brown,  that  the  dog  shall  have  previously 
travelled  the  ground  by  which  it  returns.  A  person  who 
went  by  sea  from  Aberdeen  to  Leith,  lost  his  dog  at  the 
latter  place,  and  found  it  on  his  return  at  Aberdeen.  It  must 
have  travelled  over  a  country  unknown  to  it,  and  have  crossed 
the  firths  of  Forth  and  Tay. 

Illustrations  might  easily  be  multiplied.  Mr.  Jesse  tells  of 
a  dog  which  was  presented  to  the  Captain  of  a  collier  by  a 
gentleman  residing  at  Wivenhoe  in  Essex  and  which  on  being 
landed  at  Sunderland  found  its  way  back  to  its  old  master, 
and  also  of  a  spaniel  belonging  to  Colonel  Hardy  which  after 


DOG   FRIENDSHIPS   AND  ENMITIES.  99 

accompanying  him  from  Essex  to  Bath  in  a  post  chaise,  found 
its  way  back  through  London,  a  distance  of  140  miles  in 
three  days. 

Perhaps  a  more  remarkable  instance  is  that  recorded  of  his 
dog  by  M.  d'Obsonville.  This  animal  accompanied  his  master 
and  a  friend  from  Pondicherry  to  Bengalore,  a  distance  of 
more  than  nine  hundred  miles.  M.  D'Obsonville  says,  "  Our 
journey  occupied  nearly  three  weeks ;  and  we  had  to  traverse 
plains  and  mountains,  and  to  ford  rivers,  and  go  along  by- 
paths. The  animal,  which  had  certainly  never  been  in  that 
country  before,  lost  us  at  Bengalore,  and  immediately  returned 
to  Pondicherry.  He  went  directly  to  the  house  of  my  friend, 
M.  Beglier,  then  commandant  of  artillery,  and  with  whom  I 
had  generally  lived.  Now,  the  difficulty  is  not  so  much  to 
know  how  the  dog  subsisted  on  the  road  (for  he  was  very 
strong,  and  able  to  procure  himself  food),  but  how  he  should 
so  well  have  found  his  way  after  an  interval  of  more  than  a 
month !  This  was  an  effort  of  memory  greatly  superior  to 
that  which  the  human  race  is  capable  of  exerting." 
Dog  Friendships  That  dogs  make  very  strong  friendships 

and  Enmities,  among  themselves  is  attested  by  many  an 
affecting  story.  A  Radnorshire  lady,  who  married  and  went 
to  reside  in  Yorkshire,  afterwards  paid  a  visit  to  her  old 
home  where  her  father,  before  her  marriage,  had  kept  two  or 
three  sheep-dogs  of  whom  she  was  very  fond.  Having  retired 
from  business,  her  father  had  disposed  of  all  but  one  dog, 
and  upon  her  arrival  this  one  met  the  lady  with  every 
demonstration  of  delight  and,  that  same  night,  went  a  distance 
of  seven  miles  to  a  farmhouse  where  one  of  the  other  dogs 
who  had  become  blind,  then  lived.  In  the  morning  when 
the  lady  went  to  the  door  she  saw  not  only  the  dog  which 
had  given  her  such  a  glad  reception  on  the  previous  day,  but 
also  the  old  blind  one,  which  had  evidently  been  brought 
by  the  other  dog  to  welcome  her.  When  the  second  night 
came  the  old  blind  dog  was  taken  back  to  its  home  by  the 


100  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN    ANECDOTE. 

same  dog,  which  afterwards  returned,  having  travelled  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-eight  miles  to  give  pleasure  to  his  old  blind 
friend. 

Instances  might  easily  be  multiplied  but  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  with  one  of  a  very  different  character  from 
Colonel  Hamilton  Smith's  "Cyclopaedia  of  Natural  History." 
"  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Cupar,  in  the  county  of  Fife,  there 
lived  two  dogs,  mortal  enemies  to  each  other,  and  who  always 

fought  desperately  whenever  they  met.  Capt.  R was  the 

master  of  one  of  them,  and  the  other  belonged  to  a  neigh- 
bouring farmer.  Capt.  R 's  dog  was  in  the  practice  of 

going  messages,  and  even  of  bringing  butchers'  meat  and 
other  articles  from  Cupar.  One  day,  while  returning,  charged 
with  a  basket  containing  some  pieces  of  mutton,  he  was 
attacked  by  some  of  the  curs  of  the  town,  who,  no  doubt, 
thought  the  prize  worth  contending  for.  The  assault  was 
fierce,  and  of  some  duration ;  but  the  messenger,  after  doing 
his  utmost,  was  at  last  overpowered  and  compelled  to  yield 
up  the  basket,  though  not  before  he  had  secured  a  part  of 
its  contents.  The  piece  saved  from  the  wreck  he  ran  off 
with,  at  full  speed,  to  the  quarters  of  his  old  enemy,  at 
whose  feet  he  laid  it  down,  stretching  himself  beside  it  till 
he  had  eaten  it  up.  A  few  snuffs,  a  few  whispers  in  the  ear, 
and  other  dog-like  courtesies,  were  then  exchanged;  after 
which  they  both  set  off  together  for  Cupar,  where  they 
worried  almost  every  dog  in  the  town;  and,  what  is  more 
remarkable,  they  never  afterwards  quarrelled,  but  were  always 
on  friendly  terms."  This  story  also  illustrates  another  char- 
acteristic of  the  dog  family.  Dogs  combine  for  purposes  of 
offence  and  defence.  Cats  stand  or  fall  alone. 

Dog  The  foregoing  is  also  a  proof  of  the  faculty  by 

Language.  which  animals  can  communicate  their  ideas  to 
each  other  which  in  dogs  is  particularly  remarkable.  There 
are  many  curious  anecdotes  recorded,  illustrative  of  this 
faculty.  "  At  Horton,  England,  about  the  year  1818,  a  gentle- 


THE  DOG'S  INTELLIGENCE.  IOI 

man  from  London  took  possession  of  a  house,  the  former 
tenant  of  which  had  moved  to  a  farm  about  half  a  mile  off. 
The  new  inmate  brought  with  him  a  large  French  poodle 
dog,  to  take  the  duty  of  watchman,  in  the  place  of  a  fine 
Newfoundland  dog,  which  went  away  with  his  master;  but 
a  puppy  of  the  same  breed  was  left  behind,  and  he  was 
instantly  persecuted  by  the  poodle.  As  the  puppy  grew  up, 
the  persecution  still  continued.  At  length,  he  was  one  day 
missing  for  some  hours;  but  he  did  not  come  back  alone; 
he  returned  with  his  old  friend,  the  large  house-dog,  to 
whom  he  had  made  a  communication;  and  in  an  instant 
the  two  fell  upon  the  unhappy  poodle,  and  killed  him  before 
he  could  be  rescued  from  their  fury.  In  this  case,  the 
injuries  of  the  young  dog  must  have  been  made  known  to 
his  friend ;  a  plan  of  revenge  concerted ;  and  the  determina- 
tion to  carry  that  plan  into  effect  formed  and  executed  with 
equal  promptitude.  The  following  story,  which  illustrates, 
even  in  a  more  singular  manner,  the  communication  of  ideas 
between  dogs,  was  told  by  a  clergyman,  as  an  authentic 
anecdote.  A  surgeon  of  Leeds  found  a  little  spaniel  who 
had  been  lamed.  He  carried  the  poor  animal  home,  ban- 
daged up  his  leg,  and,  after  two  or  three  days,  turned  him 
out.  The  dog  returned  to  the  surgeon's  house  every  morn- 
ing, till  his  leg  was  perfectly  well.  At  the  end  of  several 
months,  the  spaniel  again  presented  himself,  in  company  with 
another  dog,  who  had  also  been  lamed;  and  he  intimated, 
as  well  as  piteous  and  intelligent  looks  could  intimate,  that 
he  desired  the  same  kind  assistance  to  be  rendered  to  his 
friend,  as  had  been  bestowed  upon  himself.  A  similar  cir- 
cumstance is  stated  to  have  occurred  to  Moraut,  a  celebrated 
French  surgeon." 

The  Dog's  Many  instances  have  been  chronicled  of  the 
Intelligence,  actions  of  dogs,  which  seem  clearly  the  result 
of  a  process  of  reasoning.  Mr.  Jesse  tells  of  a  dog  who  was 
sent  to  fetch  two  hats  which  had  been  left  lying  upon  the 


102  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

grass.  After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  carry  the  two 
together  in  his  mouth,  he  laid  them  on  the  ground,  placed 
the  smaller  within  the  larger,  pressed  it  down  with  his  foot, 
and  then  easily  carried  them  to  his  master.  Instances  are 
recorded  of  dogs  who  while  always  ready  to  perform  a 
useful  service,  absolutely  refused  to  act  for  the  amusement 
of  on-lookers  or  to  discharge  unnecessary  duties.  Thus  a 
dog  who  would  go  into  the  water  to  retrieve  a  wild  duck 
would  refuse  to  fetch  anything  that  had  been  thrown  in  for 
the  purpose  of  displaying  his  agility,  and  another  who  was 
accustomed  to  ring  the  servants'  bell  at  the  bidding  of  his  mistress 
refused  to  do  so  when  told  while  the  servant  was  in  the 
room,  and  if  repeatedly  commanded  to  do  so,  would  lay 
hold  of  the  servant's  coat  and  attempt  to  drag  him  to  his 
mistress.  These  illustrations  seem  to  show  a  power  of  dis- 
crimination not  usually  credited  to  animals.  Of  the  intelligence 
shown  by  dogs  which  have  been  trained,  the  following  story 
from  the  "  Percy  Anecdotes "  is  at  once  a  remarkable  and  an 
amusing  illustration.  "One  day,  when  Dumont,  a  tradesman 
of  the  Rue  St.  Denis,  was  walking  in  the  Boulevard  St.  An- 
toine  with  a  friend,  he  offered  to  lay  a  wager  with  the  latter, 
that  if  he  were  to  hide  a  six-livre  piece  in  the  dust,  his  dog 
would  discover  and  bring  it  to  him.  The  wager  was  accepted, 
and  the  piece  of  money  secreted,  after  being  carefully 
marked.  When  the  two  had  proceeded  some  distance  from 
the  spot,  M.  Dumont  called  to  his  dog  that  he  had  lost 
something,  and  ordered  him  to  seek  it.  Caniche  immediately 
turned  back,  and  his  master  and  his  companion  pursued 
their  walk  to  the  Rue  St.  Denis.  Meanwhile  a  traveller, 
who  happened  to  be  just  then  returning  in  a  small  chaise 
from  Vincennes,  perceived  the  piece  of  money,  which  his 
horse  had  kicked  from  its  hiding-place;  he  alighted,  took  it 
up,  and  drove  to  his  inn,  in  the  Rue  Pont-aux-Choux. 
Caniche  had  just  reached  the  spot  in  search  of  the  lost 
piece  when  the  stranger  picked  it  up.  He  followed  the 


THE  DOG'S   INTELLIGENCE.  IO3 

chaise,  went  into  the  inn,  and  stuck  close  to  the  traveller. 
Having  scented  out  the  coin  which  he  had  been  ordered 
to  bring  back  in  the  pocket  of  the  latter,  he  leaped  up 
incessantly  at  and  about  him.  The  traveller,  supposing  him 
to  be  some  dog  that  had  been  lost  or  left  behind  by  his 
master,  regarded  his  different  movements  as  marks  of  fond- 
ness; and  as  the  animal  was  handsome,  he  determined  to 
keep  him.  He  gave  him  a  good  supper,  and  on  retiring 
to  bed  took  him  with  him  to  his  chamber.  No  sooner  had 
he  pulled  off  his  breeches,  than  they  were  seized  by  the 
dog;  the  owner  conceiving  that  he  wanted  to  play  with 
them,  took  them  away  again.  The  animal  began  to  bark 
at  the  door,  which  the  traveller  opened,  under  the  idea 
that  the  dog  wanted  to  go  out.  Caniche  snatched  up  the 
breeches,  and  away  he  flew.  The  traveller  posted  after 
him  with  his  night-cap  on,  and  literally  sans  culottes.  Anxiety 
for  the  fate  of  a  purse  full  of  gold  Napoleons,  of  forty 
francs  each,  which  was  in  one  of  the  pockets,  gave  redoubled 
velocity  to  his  steps.  Caniche  ran  full  speed  to  his  master's 
house,  where  the  stranger  arrived  a  moment  afterwards 
breathless  and  enraged.  He  accused  the  dog  of  robbing  him. 
'Sir,'  said  the  master,  'my  dog  is  a  very  faithful  creature; 
and  if  he  has  run  away  with  your  breeches,  it  is  because 
you  have  in  them  money  which  does  not  belong  to  you.' 
The  traveller  became  still  more  exasperated.  'Compose  your- 
self, sir,'  rejoined  the  other,  smiling;  'without  doubt  there 
is  in  your  purse  a  six-livre  piece,  with  such  and  such 
marks,  which  you  have  picked  up  in  the  Boulevard  St.  Antoine, 
and  which  I  threw  down  there  with  the  firm  conviction  that 
my  dog  would  bring  it  back  again.  This  is  the  cause  of 
the  robbery  which  he  has  committed  upon  you.'  The 
stranger's  rage  now  yielded  to  astonishment;  he  delivered 
the  six-livre  piece  to  the  owner,  and  could  not  forbear 
caressing  the  dog  which  had  given  him  so  much  uneasiness, 
and  such  an  unpleasant  chase." 


104  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Dogs'  That  dogs  sometimes  make  mistakes  in  the 
Mistakes,  exercise  of  their  intelligence,  with  somewhat  lu- 
dicrous results,  is  of  course  true.  A  dog  once  accompanied 
a  gentleman's  servant  to  a  tailor's  with  a  coat  of  his  master's 
which  needed  repair.  Having  his  suspicions  with  regard  to 
the  transaction,  the  dog  watched  his  opportunity,  seized  the 
coat  from  the  counter  and  carried  it  back  with  evident  satis- 
faction to  his  master.  Another  dog  caused  great  amusement 
at  a  jswimming  match  by  insisting  upon  the  rescue  of  one  of  the 
competitors.  Dogs  have  also  been  known  to  cause  both 
amusement  and  consternation  by  leaping  upon  the  stage  to 
rescue  the  defenceless  characters  of  the  melodrama  from  the 
hands  of  the  heavy  villain  of  the  play.  The  story  of  the  dog  who 
failed  to  recognise  his  master  who  had  been  bathing,  and  who 
therefore  refused  to  allow  him  to  have  his  clothes,  is  pro- 
bably apochryphal,  but  if  true  is  another  illustration  of  the 
awkwardness  of  dogs'  mistakes. 
The  Eskimo  Colonel  Hamilton  Smith  in  his  classification  of 

Dog-  dogs  begins  with  those  which  belong  nearest  to 
the  arctic  circle,  and  it  will  be  convenient  to  follow  his  order 
in  so  far  as  space  will  allow.  Speaking  of  the  Eskimo 
dog  Captain  Lyon  says  : — "  Having  myself  possessed  during 
our  hard  winter  a  team  of  eleven  fine  dogs,  I  was  enabled 
to  become  better  acquainted  with  their  good  qualities  than 
could  possibly  have  been  the  case  by  the  casual  visits  of  the 
Esquimaux  to  the  ships.  The  form  of  the  Esquimaux  dog 
is  very  similar  to  that  of  our  shepherd's  dog  in  England,  but 
it  is  more  muscular  and  broad-chested,  owing  to  the  constant 
and  severe  work  to  which  he  is  brought  up.  His  ears  are 
pointed,  and  the  aspect  of  the  head  is  somewhat  savage. 
In  size  a  fine  dog  about  the  height  of  the  Newfoundland 
breed,  but  broad  like  a  mastiff  in  every  part  except  the  nose. 
The  hair  of  the  coat  is  in  summer,  as  well  as  in  winter,  very 
long,  but  during  the  cold  season  a  soft,  downy  under-covering 
is  found,  which  does  not  appear  in  warm  weather.  Young 


THE  ESKIMO  DOG.  105 

dogs  are  put  into  harness  as  soon  as  they  can  walk,  and 
being  tied  up,  soon  acquire  a  habit  of  pulling,  in  their  attempts 
to  recover  their  liberty,  or  to  roam  in  quest  of  their  mother. 
When  about  two  months  old,  they  are  put  into  the  sledge 
with  the  grown  dogs,  and  sometimes  eight  or  ten  little  ones 
are  under  the  charge  of  some  steady  old  animal,  where,  with 
frequent  and  sometimes  severe  beatings,  they  soon  receive  a 
competent  education.  Every  dog  is  distinguished  by  a  partic- 
ular name,  and  the  angry  repetition  of  it  has  an  effect  as 
instantaneous  as  an  application  of  the  whip,  which  instrument 
is  of  an  immense  length,  having  a  lash  from  eighteen  to 
twenty-four  feet,  while  the  handle  is  one  foot  only;  with  this, 
by  throwing  it  on  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  leader,  and 
repeating  certain  words,  the  animals  are  guided  or  stopped. 
When  the  sledge  is  stopped  they  are  all  taught  to  lie  down, 
by  throwing  the  whip  gently  over  their  backs,  and  they  will 
remain  in  this  position  even  for  hours,  until  their  master 
returns  to  them.  A  walrus  is  frequently  drawn  along  by  three 
or  four  of  these  dogs,  and  seals  are  sometimes  carried  home 
in  the  same  manner,  though  I  have  in  some  instances  seen 
a  dog  bring  home  the  greater  part  of  a  seal  in  panniers 
placed  across  his  back.  Cold  has  very  little  effect  on  them ; 
for  although  the  dogs  at  the  huts  slept  within  the  snow  pas- 
sages, mine  at  the  ships  had  no  shelter,  but  lay  alongside, 
with  the  thermometer  at  42°  and  44°,  and  with  as  little 
concern  as  if  the  weather  had  been  mild.  I  found,  by  several 
experiments,  that  three  of  my  dogs  could  draw  me  on  a 
sledge,  weighing  one  hundred  pounds,  at  the  rate  of  one  mile 
in  six  minutes  ;  and  as  a  proof  of  the  strength  of  a  well-grown 
dog,  my  leader  drew  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  pounds 
singly,  and  to  the  same  distance,  in  eight  minutes.  At  another 
time  seven  of  my  dogs  ran  a  mile  in  four  minutes,  drawing 
a  heavy  sledge  full  of  men.  Afterwards,  in  carrying  stores 
to  the  Fury,  one  mile  distant,  nine  dogs  drew  one  thousand 
six  hundred  and  eleven  pounds  in  the  space  of  nine  minutes. 


106  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

When  the  dogs  slackened  their  pace,  the  sight  of  a  seal  or 
bird  was  sufficient  to  put  them  instantly  to  their  full  speed; 
and  even  though  none  of  these  might  be  seen  on  the  ice, 
the  cry  of  'a  seal!' — 'a  bear!' — or  'a  bird!'  &c.,  was 
enough  to  give  play  to  the  legs  and  voices  of  the  whole  pack. 
The  voice  and  long  whip  answer  all  the  purposes  of  reins, 
and  the  dogs  can  be  made  to  turn  a  corner  as  dexterously 
as  horses,  though  not  in  such  an  orderly  manner,  since  they 
are  constantly  fighting;  and  I  do  not  recollect  to  have  seen 
one  receive  a  flogging  without  instantly  wreaking  his  passion 
on  the  ears  of  his  neighbours.  The  cries  of  the  men  are 
not  more  melodious  than  those  of  the  animals;  and  their 
wild  looks  and  gestures  when  animated,  give  them  an  appear- 
ance of  devils  driving  wolves  before  them.  Our  dogs  had 
eaten  nothing  for  forty-eight  hours,  and  could  not  have  gone 
over  less  than  seventy  miles  of  ground;  yet  they  returned, 
to  all  appearance,  as  fresh  and  active  as  when  they  first 
set  out." 

A  Hard  Lot.  The  unhappy  condition  of  the  Eskimo  dogs 
under  native  treatment  is  pathetically  referred  to  in  "  Cassell's 
Natural  History,"  edited  by  Professor  Duncan.  The  writer 
says  "  the  horrible  savagery  of  those  poor  wretches  can  hardly 
be  wondered  at;  they  live  in  a  country  where  there  is  hardly 
a  chance  for  them  in  any  independent  foraging  expedition; 
they  are  half-starved  by  their  masters,  being  fed  chiefly  on 
frozen  walrus  hides  in  the  winter,  and  allowed  to  shift  for 
themselves  in  the  summer  when  their  services  are  not  required, 
and  are  in  so  perennial  and  acute  a  state  of  hunger  that 
they  are  ready  at  any  time  to  eat  their  own  harness  if 
allowed  to  do  so.  It  is  generally  stated  that  they  are  per- 
fectly insensible  to  kindness,  and  only  to  be  kept  hi  order 
by  a  liberal  application  of  the  lash,  or  even  of  a  more 
formidable  weapon;  for  the  Eskimo,  if  their  dogs  are  re- 
fractory, do  not  scruple  to  beat  them  about  the  head  with 
a  hammer,  or  anything  else  of  sufficient  hardness  which 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  DOG.  1 07 

happens  to  be  at  hand.  They  will  even  beat  the  poor 
brutes  in  this  horrible  manner  until  they  are  actually  stunned. 
Notwithstanding  the  absolute  dependence  of  the  Eskimo  on 
their  dogs,  little  or  no  care  is  taken  of  them;  they  receive 
nothing  in  any  degree  approaching  petting,  and  spend  all 
their  time  in  the  open  air.  The  chief  use  of  the  Eskimo 
dog  is  to  draw  the  sledges,  which  are  the  only  possible 
conveyances  in  that  frozen  land.  In  all  the  Arctic  expedi- 
tions which  have  been  sent  out  at  various  times,  a  good 
supply  of  sledge  dogs  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  desiderata, 
as  without  them  it  would  be  absolutely  impossible  to  proceed 
far.  No  other  animal  would  answer  the  purpose,  both  horses 
and  cattle  being  quite  useless  in  journeys  over  ice  and  snow, 
amongst  which  the  pack  of  light,  active  dogs  make  their 
way  with  wonderful  ease  and  safety."  The  Siberian  dogs 
render  equally  valuable  services  to  their  masters  with  about 
an  equal  measure  of  appreciation. 

The  newfound-  The  dog  known  as  the  Newfoundland  dog 
land  Dog.  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  best  beloved 
of  the  dog  family.  He  is  distinct  from  the  Labrador  dog, 
which  is  more  slender  in  make,  has  a  sharper  muzzle  and 
is  generally  "  black  in  colour  with  a  tawny  nose  and  a  rusty 
spot  over  each  eye".  The  Labrador  dog  and  the  Eskimo 
have  been  credited  with  the  parentage  of  the  Newfoundland 
species.  At  home  the  Newfoundland  is  made  useful  for  the 
purpose  of  drawing  loads,  being  harnessed  to  small  carts 
and  sleighs  for  carrying  wood  and  other  commodities. 
Abroad  like  the  prophet  who  "is  not  without  honour  save 
in  his  own  country",  he  has  been  found  capable  and  worthy  of 
much  more  honourable  service,  and  his  fidelity  and  sagacity 
have  won  for  him  universal  esteem.  He  is  an  expert  swimmer, 
his  feet  being  webbed  and  so  peculiarly  adapted  for  the 
exercise.  He  takes  to  the  water  as  though  it  were  his  natural 
element,  and  has  so  often  carried  the  line  to  sinking  ships, 
and  rescued  persons  about  to  drown  that  such  incidents 


108  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

have  become  quite  common.  The  tribute  paid  to  him  by 
Sir  Edwin  Landseer,  when  he  named  his  famous  picture  of 
him  "  a  distinguished  member  of  the  humane  society",  was 
no  more  poetical  than  just.  Volumes  might  be  filled  with 
stories  of  his  intelligence  and  prowess,  and  it  is  difficult  within 
present  limits  to  select  a  due  variety  of  characteristic  anecdotes. 
The  Newfound-  One  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of 
land's  Generosity,  the  Newfoundland  dog  is  his  generosity  to  a 
fallen  foe.  His  temper  is  said  to  be  uncertain,  though  this 
has  been  questioned  by  some  who  have  had  large  experience 
of  him  under  varying  circumstances.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
there  are  many  stories  told  to  his  honour  of  his  generosity 
to  his  enemies  in  the  moment  of  victory.  A  Newfoundland 
dog,  who  had  for  some  time  treated  with  becoming  dignity 
the  impudence  of  some  mongrels  who  were  amusing  them- 
selves by  snapping  and  snarling  at  his  heels,  suddenly  turned 
and  sent  the  crowd  of  persecutors  flying  in  all  directions, 
except  the  ringleader,  who  fell  sprawling  in  the  middle  of 
the  street,  where  he  was  about  to  receive  the  punishment  he 
deserved  when  a  cable  car  came  dashing  down  the  hill,  right 
upon  the  dogs.  The  big  dog  saw  the  danger  at  once  and 
sprang  aside,  but  his  enemy  remained  upon  his  back,  too 
terrified  to  notice  anything.  The  Newfoundland  took  in  the 
situation,  in  a  moment  sprang  back  in  front  of  the  car,  seized 
the  cur  in  his  teeth,  and  snatched  him,  still  whining  and 
begging  for  mercy,  out  of  the  very  jaws  of  death.  Laying 
him  in  the  gutter,  he  gave  a  good-natured  wag  or  two  of  his 
tail  and  went  his  way.  Another  Newfoundland  much  bothered 
by  a  small  cur  who  was  for  ever  barking  at  his  heels,  but 
who  treated  his  assailant  with  sublime  indifference,  was  on 
one  occasion  aroused  to  adopt  drastic  measures  by  receiving 
a  bite  on  his  leg.  Seizing  the  cur  by  the  loose  skin  of  his 
back  he  carried  him  down  to  the  quay  of  Cork  and  after 
letting  him  dangle  over  the  water  for  a  little  while,  dropped 
him  into  it.  After  watching  the  animal  struggle  with  the 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  DOG.  109 

water  until  nearly  exhausted,  the  Newfoundland  plunged  in 
and  rescued  him.  Mr.  Jesse  gives  a  fine  illustration  of  this 
canine  chivalry,  witnessed  at  Donaghadee.  "The  one  dog 
in  this  case  was  also  a  Newfoundland,  and  the  other  was  a 
mastiff.  They  were  both  powerful  dogs ;  and  though  each 
was  good-natured  when  alone,  they  were  very  much  in  the 
habit  of  fighting  when  they  met.  One  day  they  had  a  fierce 
and  prolonged  battle  on  the  pier,  from  the  point  of  which 
they  both  fell  into  the  sea;  and  as  the  pier  was  long  and 
steep,  they  had  no  means  of  escape  but  by  swimming  a  con- 
siderable distance.  Throwing  water  upon  fighting  dogs  is  an 
approved  means  of  putting  an  end  to  their  hostilities ;  and 
it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  two  combatants  of  the  same 
species  tumbling  themselves  into  the  sea  would  have  the  same 
effect.  It  had ;  and  each  began  to  make  for  the  land  as  best 
he  could.  The  Newfoundland  being  an  excellent  swimmer, 
very  speedily  gained  the  pier,  on  which  he  stood  shaking 
himself;  but  at  the  same  time  watching  the  motions  of  his 
late  antagonist,  which,  being  no  swimmer,  was  struggling 
exhausted  in  the  water,  and  just  about  to  sink.  In  dashed 
the  Newfoundland  dog,  took  the  other  gently  by  the  collar, 
kept  his  head  above  water,  and  brought  him  safely  on  shore. 
There  was  a  peculiar  kind  of  recognition  between  the  two 
animals;  they  never  fought  again;  they  were  always  together: 
and  when  the  Newfoundland  dog  had  been  accidentally 
killed  by  the  passage  of  a  stone  waggon  on  the  railway  over 
him,  the  other  languished  and  evidently  lamented  for  a 
long  time." 

The  New-       The   quickness  with  which  the  Newfoundland 
foundland's       .„          ..          ,         ,  ,  .         .  ,      , 

Perception  W1"   reahse   the   danger   of   a  situation    and   the 

of  Danger,  promptitude  with  which  he  will  devise  a  remedy, 
make  him  in  some  cases  a  more  valuable  friend  in  need 
than  a  man  could  be.  Human  aid  would  have  probably 
been  too  slow  in  the  following  case  related  by  Mr.  Jesse. 
"In  the  city  of  Worchester,  one  of  the  principal  streets 


110  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

leads  by  a  gentle  declivity  to  the  river  Severn.  One  day  a 
child,  in  crossing  the  street,  fell  down  in  the  middle  of  it 
and  a  horse  and  cart,  which  was  descending  the  hill,  would 
have  passed  over  it,  had  not  a  Newfoundland  dog  rushed 
to  the  rescue  of  the  child,  caught  it  up  in  his  mouth,  and 
conveyed  it  in  safety  to  the  foot  pavement." 

The  promptitude  with  which  he  will  leap  into  the  water  to 
save  the  downing,  without  waiting  for  any  word  of  command, 
is  another  illustration  of  this  faculty.  Another  case  related  by 
Mr.  Jesse  may  be  quoted.  "In  the  year  1841,  as  a  labourer, 
named  Rake,  in  the  parish  of  Botley,  near  Southampton, 
was  at  work  in  a  gravel-pit,  the  top  stratum  gave  way,  and 
he  was  buried  up  to  his  neck  by  the  great  quantity  of  gravel 
which  fell  upon  him.  He  was  at  the  same  time  so  much 
hurt,  two  of  his  ribs  being  broken,  that  he  found  it  impos- 
sible to  make  any  attempt  to  extricate  himself  from  his 
perilous  situation.  Indeed,  nothing  could  be  more  fearful 
than  the  prospect  before  him.  No  one  was  within  hearing 
of  his  cries,  nor  was  any  one  likely  to  come  near  the  spot. 
He  must  almost  inevitably  have  perished,  had  it  not  been 
for  a  Newfoundland  dog  belonging  to  his  employer.  This 
animal  had  been  watching  the  man  at  his  work  for  some 
days,  as  if  he  had  been  aware  that  his  assistance  would  be 
required;  for  no  particular  attachment  to  each  other  had 
been  exhibited  on  either  side.  As  soon,  however,  as  the 
accident  occurred,  the  dog  jumped  into  the  pit,  and  com- 
menced removing  the  gravel  with  his  paws;  and  this  he  did 
in.  so  vigorous  and  expeditious  a  manner,  that  the  poor  man 
was  at  length  able  to  liberate  himself,  though  with  extreme 
difficulty.  What  an  example  of  kindness,  sensibility,  and  I 
may  add  reason,  does  this  instance  afford  us!" 

Mr.  Youatt  gives  a  remarkable  illustration,  also  quoted  by 
Mr.  Jesse,  of  a  Newfoundland's  apparent  perception  of  danger 
of  quite  another  sort.  Finding  it  inconvenient  to  keep  this 
animal  Mr.  Youatt  had  given  it  to  a  friend,  and  four  years  passed 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  DOG.  Ill 

before  the  dog  saw  his  late  owner  again,  when  they  met 
quite  by  chance,  the  two  masters  and  the  dog,  on  a  lonely 
road  between  Wandsworth  and  Kingston.  The  dog  showed 
every  sign  of  pleasure  at  meeting  his  old  master,  but  when 
they  parted  faithfully  followed  the  new.  Mr.  Youatt  had 
not  proceeded  far,  however,  when  he  discovered  that  the  dog 
had  rejoined  him  and  was  walking  at  his  side,  growling  and 
showing  every  sign  of  anger.  Looking  ahead  he  discovered 
two  men  approaching  him  stealthily  from  behind  the  bushes 
that  skirted  the  road.  "  I  can  scarcely  say,"  says  Mr.  Youatt, 
"what  I  felt;  for  presently  one  of  the  scoundrels  emerged 
from  the  bushes,  not  twenty  yards  from  me;  but  he  no 
sooner  saw  my  companion,  and  heard  his  growling,  the 
loudness  and  depth  of  which  were  fearfully  increasing,  than 
he  retreated,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him  or  of  his  associate. 
My  gallant  defender  accompanied  me  to  the  direction-post 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  there,  with  many  a  mutual 
and  honest  greeting,  we  parted,  and  he  bounded  away  to 
overtake  his  rightful  owner.  We  never  met  again;  but  I 
need  not  say  that  I  often  thought  of  him  with  admiration 
and  gratitude." 

The  Newfound-  ^  number  of  well  authenticated  stories,  seem 
land's  Sense  of  to  indicate  a  certain  sense  of  right  and  wrong 
Right  and  Wrong.  ^  characteristic  of  the  more  intelligent  dogs; 
of  course  the  idea  of  right  and  wrong  being  in  the  case  of 
animals  as  in  the  case  of  men,  largely  a  matter  of  education. 
The  Newfoundland  dog  belonging  to  the  Rev.  J.  Simpson  of 
Potterow  Church,  Edinburgh,  already  referred  to,  on  one 
occasion  detained  a  party  of  friends  which  had  been  enter- 
tained by  the  servants  during  their  master's  absence  at  church, 
by  stationing  himself  in  front  of  the  hall  door  and  preventing 
their  egress  until  the  rev.  gentleman's  return.  Another  New- 
foundland dog  who  belonged  to  a  grocer,  and  who  had  seen 
a  porter  hide  money  behind  a  heap  of  rubbish  in  a  stable, — 
money  which  he  had  surreptitiously  abstracted  from  the  till, — 


112  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

followed  an  apprentice  into  the  stable  on  the  first  opportunity, 
and  scratching  away  the  rubbish  exposed  the  money  to  view, 
thus  leading  to  the  detection  of  the  thief.  It  is  of  course 
easy  to  claim  too  much  for  actions  apparently  so  intelligent 
and  in  estimating  them  coincidence  has  to  be  allowed  for; 
but  they  are  far  too  numerous  to  be  ignored  in  estimating 
canine  character.  An  instance  is  recorded  of  a  quiet  docile 
dog  who  refused  to  allow  a  visitor  to  leave  a  stable,  when 
it  was  discovered  that  the  man  had  secreted  a  bridle  in  his 
pocket. 

The  Newfound-  Many  illustrations  might  be  given  of  the 
land's  Fidelity,  fidelity  which  the  Newfoundland  shows  in 
common  with  other  dogs,  but  one  or  two  must  suffice.  A 
story  is  told  of  a  dog  who  picked  up  a  coin  which  his 
master  had  dropped  from  his  purse,  and  which  he  kept  in 
his  mouth  all  day,  refusing  food  until  his  master's  return 
in  the  evening,  when  he  laid  it  at  his  feet,  and  then  attacked 
his  dinner  voraciously;  another  of  a  dog  who  on  being  sent 
home  by  his  master  with  a  key  which  he  had  inadvertently 
taken  with  him,  was  attacked  by  a  dog  belonging  to  a  butcher, 
but  who  declined  the  combat  until  he  had  delivered  the 
key,  but  immediately  returned  and  attacking  the  butcher's 
dog  killed  him.  In  the  first  Case  the  dog  suffered  the  natural 
pangs  of  hunger  rather  than  hazard  his  master's  property,  and 
in  the  second  he  postponed  the  gratification  of  his  natural 
feeling  of  revenge  until  after  the  execution  of  his  duty. 

The  Newfound-      The  tricks  to  which   d°Ss  can  be  trained, 

land  under     though    often  amusing  enough,   have  not  the 

Training.       interest  which  attaches  to  the  natural  display 

of  their  faculties,  and  yet  of  course  there  is  plenty  of  scope 

for  the  trained  dog  to  supplement  his  culture  by  the  exercise 

of  his  natural  gifts,  and  this  he  often  does.     Perhaps  one  of 

the  most  remarkable  of  trained  Newfoundland  dogs,  was  the 

one  possessed  by  Mr.  Mclntyre  of  Regent  Bridge,  Edinburgh. 

This   dog  was  trained  to  perform  all  kinds  of  tricks.    He 


THE  NEWFOUNDLAND  DOG.  113 

would  pick  his  master's  hat  out  from  a  number  of  others 
of  the  same  kind,  or  indeed  almost  any  article  of  his  master's 
from  a  group  of  similar  articles.  He  would  ring  the  bell  to 
summon  the  servants,  and  if  there  was  no  bell  rope  in  the 
room,  find  and  use  the  hand  bell  with  equal  facility.  A 
comb  was  hidden  on  the  top  of  a  mantel-piece  in  the  room, 
and  the  dog  required  to  bring  it,  which  he  almost  immediately 
did,  although  in  the  search  he  found  a  number  of  articles 
also  belonging  to  his  master,  purposely  strewed  around,  all  of 
which  he  passed  over,  and  brought  the  identical  comb  which 
he  was  required  to  find,  fully  proving  that  he  was  not  guided 
by  the  sense  of  smell,  but  that  he  perfectly  understood  what 
was  spoken  to  him.  One  evening  some  gentlemen  being 
in  company,  one  of  them  accidentally  dropped  a  shilling  on 
the  floor,  which,  after  the  most  careful  search,  could  not  be 
found.  Mr.  M.  seeing  his  dog  sitting  in  a  corner,  and  looking 
as  if  quite  unconscious  of  what  was  passing,  said  to  him, 
"  Dandie,  find  us  the  shilling  and  you  shall  have  a  biscuit." 
The  dog  immediately  jumped  upon  the  table  and  laid  down 
the  shilling,  which  he  had  previously  picked  up  without 
having  been  perceived.  Mr.  M.  having  one  evening  supped 
with  a  friend,  on  his  return  home  could  not  find  his  boot- 
jack in  the  place  where  it  usually  lay.  He  then  said  to  his 
dog,  "Dandie,  I  cannot  find  my  boot-jack,— search  for  it." 
The  faithful  animal,  quite  sensible  of  what  had  been  said 
to  him,  scratched  at  the  room-door,  which  his  master 
opened.  Dandie  proceeded  to  a  very  distant  part  of  the 
house,  and  returned  carrying  in  his  mouth  the  boot-jack, 
which  Mr.  M.  then  recollected  to  have  left  that  morning 
under  a  sofa.  A  number  of  gentlemen,  well  acquainted 
with  Dandie,  were  daily  in  the  habit  of  giving  him  a  penny 
which  he  took  to  a  baker's  shop  and  purchased  bread  for 
himself.  One  of  these  gentlemen,  who  lived  in  James'  Square, 
when  passing  was  accosted  by  Dandie,  in  expectation  of  his 
usual  present  Mr.  T.  said  to  him,  "I  have  not  a  penny 

8 


114  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

with  me  to-day,  but  I  have  one  at  home."  Having  returned 
to  his  house  some  time  after,  he  heard  a  noise  at  the  door, 
which  was  opened  by  the  servant,  when  in  sprang  Dandie 
to  receive  his  penny.  In  a  frolic  Mr.  T.  gave  him  a  bad 
one,  which  he,  as  usual,  carried  to  the  baker,  who  refused 
to  take  the  bad  coin.  He  immediately  returned  to  Mr.  T.'s, 
scratched  at  the  door,  and  when  the  servant  opened  it, 
laid  the  penny  down  at  her  feet,  and  walked  off,  seemingly 
with  the  greatest  contempt.  Although  Dandie,  in  general, 
made  an  immediate  purchase  of  bread  with  the  money 
which  he  received,  the  following  circumstance  clearly  demon- 
strates that  he  possessed  more  prudent  foresight  than  many 
who  are  reckoned  rational  beings.  One  Sunday,  when  it 
was  very  unlikely  that  he  could  have  received  a  present  of 
money,  Dandie  was  observed  to  bring  home  a  loaf.  Mr.  M. 
being  somewhat  surprised  at  this,  desired  the  servant  tc 
search  the  room  to  see  if  any  money  could  be  found.  While 
she  was  engaged  in  this  task,  the  dog  seemed  quite  uncon- 
cerned till  she  approached  the  bed,  when  he  ran  to  her, 
and  gently  drew  her  back  from  it.  Mr.  M.  then  secured 
the  dog,  which  kept  struggling  and  growling  while  the  servant 
went  under  the  bed,  where  she  found  seven  pence  halfpenny 
under  a  bit  of  cloth.  From  that  time  he  never  could  endure 
the  girl,  and  was  frequently  observed  to  hide  his  money  in  a 
corner  of  a  saw-pit,  under  the  dust.  When  Mr.  M.  had 
company,  if  he  desired  the  dog  to  see  any  one  of  the 
gentlemen  home,  he  would  walk  with  him  till  he  reached  his 
home,  and  then  return  to  his  master,  how  great  soever  the 
distance  might  be.  Many  other  stories  are  told  about  Dandie 
but  these  must  suffice.  Of  their  authenticity  there  seems 
little  doubt;  they  were  recorded  by  Captain  Brown  during 
the  lifetime  of  Dandie  and  his  master. 

The  The  shepherd's  dog  (cants  domesticus)  rivals  if 

Sheep  Dog.  not   surpasses    most    other  dogs  in   intelligence, 

though   his  intelligence  is  less  general   and  more  particular 


THE   SHEEP   DOG.  115 

than  that  of  other  dogs,  i.e.,  more  special  to  his  own  pro- 
fession and  probably  more  due  to  training  and  culture.  The 
principle  of  heredity  operates  conspicuously  in  the  case  of 
dogs,  and  shepherding  being  one  of  the  oldest  occupations  of 
man,  the  shepherd's  dog  has  probably  been  under  culture  for 
a  longer  period  than  any  other, — hence  his  proficiency  in  his 
work.  Buffon  credited  him  with  being  "the  parent  stock  of 
the  whole  species",  and  Colonel  Smith  with  civilisation  at  a 
very  early  period.  "The  sheep  dog,"  says  Colonel  Smith,  "is 
seldom  two  feet  high,  but  his  make  is  muscular;  the  nose 
rather  pointed;  the  ears  erect;  and  the  colour  of  the  hair 
black  and  fulvous ;  the  fur  is  rather  long  and  rough.  In  great 
Britain,  and  more  particularly  in  Scotland,  the  colours  are 
more  mixed  with  shades  of  brown,  and  the  ears  are  often 
drooping  at  the  tips.  The  sheep  dog  is  not  to  be  confused 
with  the  drover  or  cattle  dog,  which  is  larger  and  still  more 
rugged  in  coat,  as  well  as  manners. 

ThQ  The  sheep  dog  is  credited  with  so  many  stories 

Sheep  Dog's  of   skill    and  sagacity,  that  those   unacquainted 

Sagacity,  ^fa  njs  habjts  ancj  achievements  can  scarcely 
believe  the  record.  He  has  been  known  to  rival  the  St.  Bernard 
in  tracking  both  men  and  sheep  who  have  become  buried  in 
the  snow,  the  mastiff  in  defending  his  master's  property  and 
the  Newfoundland  in  procuring  assistance  he  was  unable  to 
render  himself.  But  it  is  in  the  pursuit  of  his  special  duties 
that  he  displays  the  most  remarkable  powers;  and  many 
illustrations  might  be  given  of  his  extraordinary  skill  and 
fidelity.  Happily  for  him  he  found  in  the  Ettrick  Shepherd 
an  historian  as  well  acquainted  with  his  prowess  as  he  was 
able  to  record  its  exercise;  from  whose  writings  we  are  able 
to  quote  several  remarkable  illustrations. 

"My  dog  Sirrah,"  says  he,  "was,  beyond  all  comparison, 
the  best  dog  I  ever  saw:  he  was  of  a  surly  and  unsocial 
temper, — disdaining  all  flattery,  he  refused  to  be  caressed; 
but  his  attention  to  my  commands  and  interests  will  never 


Il6  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

again,  perhaps,  be  equalled  by  any  of  the  canine  race.  Well 
as  I  knew  him,  he  often  astonished  me;  for,  when  hard 
pressed  in  accomplishing  the  task  that  he  was  put  to,  he  had 
expedients  of  the  moment  that  bespoke  a  great  share  of  the 
reasoning  faculty. 

"  About  seven  hundred  lambs,  which  were  once  under  my 
care  at  weaning  time,  broke  up  at  midnight,  and  scampered 
off  in  three  divisions  across  the  hills,  in  spite  of  all  that  I 
and  an  assistant  lad  could  do  to  keep  them  together.  'Sir- 
rah, my  man!'  said  I,  in  great  affliction,  'they  are  awa'.'  The 
night  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  see  Sirrah,  but  the  faith- 
ful animal  heard  my  words — words  such  as  of  all  others  were 
sure  to  set  him  most  on  the  alert;  and  without  much  ado  he 
silently  set  off  in  search  of  the  recreant  flock.  Meanwhile  I 
and  my  companion  did  not  fail  to  do  all  in  our  power  to 
recover  our  lost  charge.  We  spent  the  whole  night  in  scour- 
ing the  hills  for  miles  around,  but  of  neither  the  lambs  nor 
Sirrah  could  we  obtain  the  slightest  trace.  It  was  the  most 
extraordinary  circumstance  that  had  occurred  in  my  pastoral 
life.  We  had  nothing  for  it  (day  having  dawned),  but  to  re- 
turn to  our  master,  and  inform  him  that  we  had  lost  his 
whole  flock  of  lambs,  and  knew  not  what  had  become  of 
them.  On  our  way  home,  however,  we  discovered  a  body 
of  lambs  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine,  called  the  Flesh 
Cleuch,  and  the  indefatigable  Sirrah  standing  in  front  of  them, 
looking  all  around  for  some  relief,  but  still  standing  true  to 
his  charge.  The  sun  was  then  up;  and  when  we  first  came 
in  view  of  them,  we  concluded  that  it  was  one  of  the  divi- 
sions which  Sirrah  had  been  unable  to  manage  until  he  came 
to  that  commanding  situation.  But  what  was  our  astonish- 
ment, when  we  discovered  by  degrees  that  not  one  lamb  of 
the  whole  flock  was  wanting !  How  he  had  got  all  the  divi- 
sions collected  in  the  dark,  is  beyond  my  comprehension. 
The  charge  was  left  entirely  to  himself,  from  midnight  until 
the  rising  of  the  sun;  and  if  all  the  shepherds  in  the  forest 


THE  SHEEP  DOG.  117 

had  been  there  to  have  assisted  him,  they  could  not  have 
effected  it  with  greater  propriety.  All  that  I  can  farther  say 
is,  that  I  never  felt  so  grateful  to  any  creature  below  the  sun, 
as  I  did  to  my  honest  Sirrah  that  morning." 

.j,^  "The  late  Mr.  Steel,  flesher  in  Peebles,"  says 

Sheep-dog's  James  Hogg,  "  had  a  bitch  whose  feats  in  taking 
Fidelity.  sheep  from  the  neighbouring  farms  into  the  Flesh- 
market  at  Peebles,  form  innumerable  anecdotes  in  that  vici- 
nity, all  similar  to  one  another.  But  there  is  one  instance 
related  of  her,  that  combines  so  much  sagacity  with  natural 
affection,  that  I  do  not  think  the  history  of  the  animal  creation 
furnishes  such  another.  Mr.  Steel  had  such  an  implicit 
dependence  on  the  attention  of  this  animal  to  his  orders, 
that,  whenever  he  put  a  lot  of  sheep  before  her,  he  took  a 
pride  in  leaving  them  to  herself,  and  either  remained  to  take 
a  glass  with  the  farmer  of  whom  he  had  made  the  purchase, 
or  took  another  road  to  look  after  bargains  or  other  business. 
But  one  time  he  chanced  to  commit  a  drove  to  her  charge 
at  a  place  called  Willenslee,  without  attending  to  her  condi- 
tion as  he  ought  to  have  done.  This  farm  is  five  miles  from 
Peebles,  over  wild  hills,  and  there  is  no  regularly  defined 
path  to  it.  Whether  Mr.  Steel  remained  behind,  or  chose 
another  road,  I  know  not;  but,  on  coming  home  late  in  the 
evening,  he  was  astonished  at  hearing  that  his  faithful  animal 
had  not  made  her  appearance  with  the  flock.  He  and  his 
son,  or  servant,  instantly  prepared  to  set  out  by  different 
paths  in  search  of  her;  but,  on  their  going  out  to  the  street, 
there  was  she  coming  with  the  drove,  not  one  missing;  and 
marvellous  to  relate,  she  was  carrying  a  young  pup  in  her 
mouth!  She  had  been  taken  in  travail  on  those  hills;  and 
how  the  poor  beast  had  contrived  to  manage  the  drove  in 
her  state  of  suflering  is  beyond  human  calculation,  for  her 
read  lay  through  sheep  the  whole  way.  Her  master's  heart 
smote  him  when  he  saw  what  she  had  suffered  and  effected : 
but  she  was  nothing  daunted ;  and  having  deposited  her  young 


Il8  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

one  in  a  place  of  safety,  she  again  set  out  full  speed  to  the 
hills,  and  brought  another  and  another,  till  she  removed  her 
whole  litter  one  by  one;  but  the  last  one  was  dead.  The 
stories  related  of  the  dogs  of  sheep-stealers,  he  continues,  are 
fairly  beyond  all  credibility.  I  cannot  attach  credit  to  some 
of  them  without  believing  the  animals  to  have  been  devils 
incarnate,  come  to  the  earth  for  the  destruction  both  of  the 
souls  and  bodies  of  men.  I  cannot  mention  names,  for  the 
sake  of  families  that  still  remain  in  the  country;  but  there 
have  been  sundry  men  executed,  who  belonged  to  this  dis- 
trict of  the  kingdom,  for  that  heinous  crime,  in  my  own  days ; 
and  others  have  absconded,  just  in  time  to  save  their  necks. 
There  was  not  one  of  these  to  whom  I  allude  who  did  not 
acknowledge  his  dog  to  be  the  greatest  aggressor.  One  young 
man  in  particular,  who  was,  I  believe,  overtaken  by  justice 
for  his  first  offence,  stated,  that  after  he  had  folded  the  sheep 
by  moonlight,  and  selected  his  number  from  the  flock  of  a 
former  master,  he  took  them  out,  and  set  away  with  them 
towards  Edinburgh.  But  before  he  had  got  them  quite  off 
the  farm,  his  conscience  smote  him,  as  he  said  (but  more 
likely  a  dread  of  that  which  soon  followed),  and  he  quitted 
the  sheep,  letting  them  go  again  to  the  hill.  He  called  his 
dog  off  them;  and  mounting  his  pony,  he  rode  away.  At 
that  time  he  said  his  dog  was  capering  and  playing  around 
him,  as  if  glad  of  having  got  free  of  a  troublesome  business; 
and  he  regarded  him  no  more,  till,  after  having  rode  about 
three  miles,  he  thought  again  and  again  that  he  heard  something 
coming  up  behind  him.  Halting,  at  length,  to  ascertain  what 
it  was,  in  a  few  minutes  up  came  his  dog  with  the  stolen 
animals,  driving  them  at  a  furious  rate  to  keep  up  with  his 
master.  The  sheep  were  all  smoking,  and  hanging  out  their 
tongues,  and  their  guide  was  fully  warm  as  they.  The 
young  man  was  now  exceedingly  troubled,  for  the  sheep 
having  been  brought  so  far  from  home,  he  dreaded  there 
would  be  a  pursuit,  and  he  could  not  get  them  home  again 


THE  ST.    BERNARD   DOG.  119 

before  day.  Resolving,  at  all  events,  to  keep  his  hands  clear 
of  them,  he  corrected  his  dog  in  great  wrath,  left  the  sheep 
once  more,  and  taking  colley  with  him,  rode  off  a  second 
time.  He  had  not  ridden  above  a  mile,  till  he  perceived  that 
his  assistant  had  again  given  him  the  slip;  and  suspecting 
for  what  purpose,  he  was  terribly  alarmed  as  well  as  chagrined ; 
for  daylight  now  approached,  and  he  durst  not  make  a  noise 
calling  on  his  dog,  for  fear  of  alarming  the  neighbourhood, 
in  a  place  where  they  were  both  well  known.  He  resolved 
therefore  to  abandon  the  animal  to  himself,  and  take  a  road 
across  the  country  which  he  was  sure  the  other  did  not  know, 
and  could  not  follow.  He  took  that  road;  but  being  on 
horseback,  he  could  not  get  across  the  enclosed  fields.  He 
at  length  came  to  a  gate,  which  he  shut  behind  him,  and 
went  about  half  a  mile  farther,  by  a  zigzag  course,  to  a 
farm-house  where  both  his  sister  and  sweetheart  lived;  and 
at  that  place  he  remained  until  after  breakfast  time.  The 
people  of  this  house  were  all  examined  on  the  trial,  and  no 
one  had  either  seen  the  sheep  or  heard  them  mentioned,  save 
one  man,  who  came  up  to  the  aggressor  as  he  was  standing 
at  the  stable-door,  and  told  him  that  his  dog  had  the  sheep 
safe  enough  down  at  the  Crooked  Yett,  and  he  needed  not 
hurry  himself.  He  answered,  that  the  sheep  were  not  his — 
they  were  young  Mr.  Thomson's,  who  had  left  them  to  his 
charge,  and  he  was  in  search  of  a  man  to  drive  them,  which 
made  him  come  off  his  road."  The  fidelity  of  this  animal 
cost  his  master  his  life. 

The  St.  The  St.  Bernard  Dog  always  honoured  for 
Bernard  Dog.  his  work's  sake,  resembles  the  Newfoundland  in 
form,  hair,  colour,  and  size.  "There  is  another  race,"  says 
Colonel  Smith,  "trained  to  the  same  service,  with  close 
short  hair,  and  more  or  less  marked  with  grey,  liver  colour 
and  black  clouds."  Bass,  a  famous  St.  Bernard,  the  property 
of  Sir  Thomas  Dick  Lauder,  is  thus  described  by  him  in 
a  letter  to  Mr.  W.  H.  Lizars  printed  in  Vol.  XIX  of  "  The 


120  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

Naturalist's  Library  " : — "  My  St.  Bernard  was  brought  home 
direct  from  the  Great  St.  Bernard,  when  he  was  a  puppy 
of  about  four  or  five  months.  His  bark  is  tremendous; 
so  loud,  indeed,  that  I  have  often  distinguished  it  nearly 
a  mile  off.  He  had  been  missing  for  some  time,  when, 
to  my  great  joy,  one  of  the  letter-carriers  brought  him  back ; 
and  the  man's  account  was,  that  in  going  along  a  certain 
street,  he  heard  his  bark  from  the  inside  of  a  yard,  and 
knew  it  immediately.  He  knocked  at  the  gate,  and  said  to 
the  owner  of  the  premises,  'You  have  got  Sir  Thomas 
Lauder's  big  dog.'  The  man  denied  it.  'But  I  know  you 
have,'  continued  the  letter-carrier;  'I  can  swear  that  I  heard 
the  bark  of  Sir  Thomas's  big  dog ;  for  there  is  no  dog  in  or 
about  all  Edinburgh  that  has  such  a  bark.'  At  last,  with 
great  reluctance,  the  man  gave  up  the  dog  to  the  letter-carrier, 
who  brought  him  home  here.  But  though  Bass's  bark  is  so 
terrific,  he  is  the  best-natured  and  most  playful  dog  I  ever 
saw ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  the  small  King  Charles's 
spaniel,  Raith,  used  to  tyrannize  over  him  for  many  months 
after  he  came  here  from  abroad.  I  have  seen  the  little 
creature  run  furiously  at  the  great  animal  when  gnawing  a 
bone,  who  instantly  turned  himself  submissively  over  on  his 
back,  with  all  his  legs  in  the  air,  whilst  Raith,  seizing  the 
bone,  would  make  the  most  absurd  and  unavailing  attempts 
to  bestride  the  enormous  head  of  his  subdued  companion, 
with  the  most  ludicrous  affectation  of  the  terrible  growling, 
that  might  bespeak  the  loftiest  description  of  dog-indignation. 
When  a  dog  attacks  Bass  in  the  street  or  road,  he  runs  away 
rather  than  quarrel;  but  when  compelled  to  fight  by  any 
perseverance  in  the  attacking  party,  he  throws  his  enemy 
down  in  a  moment,  and  then,  without  biting  him,  he  lays  his 
whole  immense  bulk  down  upon  him,  till  he  nearly  smothers 
him.  He  took  a  particular  fancy  for  one  of  the  postmen  who 
deliver  letters  here,  whose  duty  it  was,  besides  delivering 
letters,  to  carry  a  letter  bag.  from  one  receiving-house  to 


THE   ST.    BERNARD   DOG.  121 

another,  and  this  bag  he  used  to  give  Bass  to  carry.  Bass 
always  followed  that  man  through  all  the  villas  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood where  he  had  deliveries  to  make,  and  he  invariably 
parted  with  him  opposite  to  the  gate  of  the  Convent  of  St. 
Margaret's,  and  returned  home.  When  our  gate  was  shut 
here  to  prevent  his  following  the  postman,  the  dog  always 
leaped  a  high  wall  to  get  after  him.  One  day  when  the 
postman  was  ill,  or  detained  by  some  accidental  circumstance, 
he  sent  a  man  in  his  place.  Bass  went  up  to  the  man,  curi- 
ously scanning  his  face,  whilst  the  man  rather  retired  from 
the  dog,  by  no  means  liking  his  appearance.  But  as  the 
man  left  the  place,  Bass  followed  him,  showing  strong  symp- 
toms that  he  was  determined  to  have  the  post-bag.  The 
man  did  all  he  could  to  keep  possession  of  it.  But  at  length 
Bass  seeing  that  he  had  no  chance  of  getting  possession  of 
the  bag  by  civil  entreaty,  raised  himself  up  on  his  hind-legs, 
and  putting  a  great  forepaw  on  each  of  the  man's  shoulders, 
he  laid  him  flat  on  his  back  in  the  road,  and  quietly  picking 
up  the  bag,  he  proceeded  peaceably  on  his  wonted  way. 
The  man,  much  dismayed,  arose  and  followed  the  dog, 
making  every  now  and  then  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  coax 
him  to  give  up  the  bag.  At  the  first  house  he  came  to,  he 
told  his  fears,  and  the  dilemma  he  was  in ;  but  the  people 
comforted  him,  by  telling  him  that  the  dog  always  carried 
the  bag.  Bass  walked  with  the  man  to  all  the  houses  at 
which  he  delivered  letters,  and  along  the  road  till  he  came 
to  the  gate  of  St.  Margaret's,  where  h,e  dropped  the  bag  and 
returned  home." 

The  St.  Bernard  "  The  convent  of  the  Great  St.  Bernard  is 
at  Work.  situated  near  the  top  of  the  mountain  known 
by  that  name,  near  one  of  the  most  dangerous  passages  of 
the  Alps,  between  Switzerland  and  Savoy.  In.  these  regions 
the  traveller  is  often  overtaken  by  the  most  severe  weather, 
even  after  days  of  cloudless  beauty,  when  the  glaciers  glitter 
in  the  sunshine,  and  the  pink  flowers  of  the  rhododendron 


122  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

appear  as  if  they  were  never  to  be  sullied  by  the  tempest. 
But  a  storm  suddenly  comes  on;  the  roads  are  rendered 
impassable  by  drifts  of  snow ;  the  avalanches,  which  are  huge 
loosened  masses  of  snow  or  ice,  are  swept  into  the  valleys, 
carrying  trees  and  crags  of  rock  before  them.  Benumbed 
with  cold,  weary  in  the  search  for  a  lost  track,  his  senses 
yielding  to  the  stupifying  influence  of  frost  which  betrays  the 
exhausted  sufferer  into  a  deep  sleep,  the  unhappy  man  sinks 
upon  the  ground,  and  the  snow-drift  covers  him  from  human 
sight.  It  is  then  that  the  keen  scent  and  the  exquisite 
docility  of  these  admirable  dogs  are  called  into  action. 
Though  the  perishing  man  lie  ten  or  even  twelve  feet  beneath 
the  snow,  the  delicacy  of  smell  with  which  they  can  trace 
him  offers  a  chance  of  escape.  They  scratch  away  the  snow 
with  their  feet;  they  set  up  a  continued  hoarse  and  solemn 
bark,  which  brings  the  monks  and  labourers  of  the  convent 
to  their  assistance.  To  provide  for  the  chance  that  the  dogs, 
without  human  help,  may  succeed  in  discovering  the  unfortu- 
nate traveller,  one  of  them  has  a  flask  of  spirits  round  his 
neck,  to  which  the  fainting  man  may  apply  for  support ;  and 
another  has  a  cloak  to  cover  him.  These  wonderful  exertions 
are  often  successful ;  and  even  where  they  fail  of  restoring 
him  who  has  perished,  the  dogs  discover  the  body,  so  that 
it  may  be  secured  for  the  recognition  of  friends;  and  such 
is  the  effect  of  the  temperature,  that  the  dead  features  gener- 
ally preserve  their  firmness  for  the  space  of  two  years."  One 
of  these  dogs  is  said  to  have  saved  as  many  as  forty  lives 
and  finally  to  have  fallen  a  victim  to  an  avalanche. 
The  Greyhound.  The  Greyhound  is  characterised  by  elegance 
of  form  and  grace  of  movement;  he  has  also  great  powers 
of  speed  and  endurance,  is  mild  and  affectionate  in  disposition 
and  sagacious  in  matters  other  than  those  connected  with 
the  chase.  "  The  narrow,  sharp  head,  the  light  half  hanging 
ears,  the  long  neck,  the  arched  back,  the  slender  yet  sinewy 
'imbs,  the  deep  chest,  showing  the  high  development  of  the 


THE  GREYHOUND.  123 

breathing  organs,  and  the  elevated  hind  quarters,  says  Mrs. 
Bowdich,  all  shadow  forth  the  peculiar  qualities  of  these 
dogs.  Their  coat  has  been  adapted  to  the  climate  in  which 
they  originally  lived:  here  it  is  smooth;  but  becomes  more 
shaggy  as  they  are  from  colder  regions."  "The  Scotch 
Greyhound  (Cants  Scoticus),"  she  continues,  "  generally  white, 
with  black  clouds,  is  said  to  be  the  most  intellectual  of  all, 
and  formerly  to  have  had  so  good  a  scent  as  to  be  employed 
as  a  bloodhound.  Maida,  whose  name  is  immortalized  as 
the  favourite  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  was  a  Scottish  greyhound. 
The  Irish  is  the  largest  of  all  the  western  breeds,  and  is 
supposed  to  owe  this  distinction  to  mingling  with  the  great 
Danish  dog.  To  it  Ireland  owes  the  extirpation  of  wolves, 
though  it  now  scarcely  exists  itself  but  in  name." 

The  greyhound  is  now  principally  bred  for  sporting  purposes, 
coursing  being  the  favourite  amusement.  The  great  speed  and 
endurance  of  the  dog  is  shown  in  this  pastime.  Mr.  Jesse  records 
several  instances  of  dogs  who  have  died  from  exhaustion 
rather  than  give  up  the  chase,  in  one  of  which  it  is  stated 
that  two  dogs  and  a  hare  were  found  dead  within  a 
few  yards  of  each  other  after  a  run  of  several  miles.  Mr. 
Daniel  in  his  rural  sports  gives  an  instance  in  which  a 
brace  of  greyhounds  chased  a  hare  a  distance  of  four 
miles  in  twelve  minutes. 

The  Greyhound's  Washington  Irving  tells  the  following  story 
Affection.  of  a  greyhound's  affection  for  his  master.  "  An 
officer  named  St.  Leger,  who  was  imprisoned  in  Vincennes 
(near  Paris)  during  the  wars  of  St.  Bartholomew,  wished  to 
keep  with  him  a  greyhound  that  he  had  brought  up,  and 
which  was  much  attached  to  him;  but  they  harshly  refused 
him  this  innocent  pleasure,  and  sent  away  the  greyhound  to 
his  house  in  the  Rue  des  Lions  Saint  Paul.  The  next  day 
the  greyhound  returned  alone  to  Vincennes,  and  began  to 
bark  under  the  windows  of  the  tower,  where  the  officer  was 
confined.  St.  Leger  approached,  looked  through  the  bars, 


124  NATUPJ^L  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  was  delighted  again  to  see  his  faithful  hound,  who 
began  to  jump  and  play  a  thousand  gambols  to  show  her 
joy.  He  threw  a  piece  of  bread  to  the  animal,  who  ate  it 
with  great  good  will;  and,  in  spite  of  the  immense  wall 
which  separated  them,  they  breakfasted  together  like  two 
friends.  This  friendly  visit  was  not  the  last.  Abandoned 
by  his  relations,  who  believed  him  dead,  the  unfortunate 
prisoner  received  the  visits  of  his  greyhound  only,  during 
four  years'  confinement.  Whatever  weather  it  might  be,  in 
spite  of  rain  or  snow,  the  faithful  animal  did  not  fail  a 
single  day  to  pay  her  accustomed  visit.  Six  months  after 
his  release  from  prison  St.  Leger  died.  The  faithful  grey- 
hound would  no  longer  remain  in  the  house;  but  on  the 
day  after  the  funeral  returned  to  the  castle  of  Vincennes, 
and  it  is  supposed  she  was  actuated  by  a  motive  of  gratitude. 
A  jailor  of  the  outer  court  had  always  shown  great  kindness 
to  this  dog,  which  was  as  handsome  as  affectionate.  Contrary 
to  the  custom  of  people  of  that  class,  this  man  had  been 
touched  by  her  attachment  and  beauty,  so  that  he  facilitated 
her  approach  to  see  her  master,  and  also  insured  her  a  safe 
retreat.  Penetrated  with  gratitude  for  this  service,  the  grey- 
hound remained  the  rest  of  her  life  near  the  benevolent 
jailor.  It  was  remarked,  that  even  while  testifying  her  zeal 
and  gratitude  for  her  second  master,  one  could  easily  see 
that  her  heart  was  with  the  first.  Like  those  who,  having 
lost  a  parent,  a  brother,  or  a  friend,  come  from  afar  to  seek 
consolation  by  viewing  the  place  which  they  inhabited,  this 
affectionate  animal  repaired  frequently  to  the  tower  where 
St.  Leger  had  been  imprisoned,  and  would  contemplate  for 
hours  together  the  gloomy  window  from  which  her  dear 
master  had  so  often  smiled  to  her,  and  where  they  had  so 
frequently  breakfasted  together." 

The  Lurcher.  "The  rough,  large-boned,  ill-looking  Lurcher," 
says  Mrs.  Bowdich,  "is  said  to  have  descended  from  the 
rough  greyhound  and  the  shepherd's  dog.  It  is  now  rare; 


THE  BLOODHOUND.  125 

but  there  are  some  of  its  sinister-looking  mongrel  progeny 
still  to  be  seen.  They  always  bear  the  reputation  of  being 
poachers'  dogs,  and  are  deeply  attached  to  their  owners. 
They  have  a  fine  scent;  and  a  man  confessed  to  Mr.  Bewick, 
that  he  could,  with  a  pair  of  lurchers,  procure  as  many 
rabbits  as  he  pleased.  They  never  give  tongue,  but  set 
ajbout  their  work  silently  and  cautiously,  and  hunt  hares 
and  partridges,  driving  the  latter  into  the  nets  of  the  unlaw- 
ful sportsmen."  He  is  a  dog  to  whom  a  bad  name  has 
been  given,  and  who  has  found  a  bad  name  but  one  step 
from  hanging. 

The  Blood-  The  Bloodhound  (Cants  Sanguinaritts)  whether 
hound.  because  less  needed  now  than  formally  or  not, 
is  less  cultivated  and  is  therefore  more  rare.  Mr.  Bell's 
description  of  the  breed  is  as  follows : — "  They  stand  twenty- 
eight  inches  high  at  the  shoulder;  the  muzzle  broad  and 
full;  the  upper  lip  large  and  pendulous;  the  vertex  of  the 
head  protuberant;  the  expression  stern,  thoughtful,  and  noble; 
the  breast  broad;  the  limbs  strong  and  muscular;  and  the 
original  colour  a  deep  tan,  with  large  black  clouds.  They 
are  silent  when  following  their  scent;  and  in  this  respect 
differ  from  other  hounds,  who  are  generally  gifted  with  fine 
deep  voices.  Numbers,  under  the  name  of  sleuth-hounds, 
used  to  be  kept  on  the  Borders;  and  kings  and  troopers, 
perhaps  equally  marauders,  have  in  olden  times  found  it 
difficult  to  evade  them.  The  noble  Bruce  had  several  nar- 
row escapes  from  them;  and  the  only  sure  way  to  destroy 
their  scent  was  to  spill  blood  upon  the  track.  In  all  the 
common  routine  of  life  they  are  good-natured  and  intelli- 
gent, and  make  excellent  watch-dogs.  A  story  is  related  of 
a  nobleman,  who,  to  make  a  trial  whether  a  young  hound 
was  well  instructed,  desired  one  of  his  servants  to  walk  to 
a  town  four  miles  off,  and  then  to  a  market  town  three 
miles  from  thence.  The  dog,  without  seeing  the  man  he 
was  to  pursue,  followed  him  by  the  scent  to  the  above- 


126  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

mentioned  places,  notwithstanding  the  multitude  of  market- 
people  that  went  along  the  same  road,  and  of  travellers  that 
had  occasion  to  come;  and  when  the  bloodhound  came  to 
the  market  town,  he  passed  through  the  streets  without 
taking  notice  of  any  of  the  people  there,  and  ceased  not 
till  he  had  gone  to  the  house  where  the  man  he  sought 
rested  himself,  and  where  he  found  him  in  an  upper  room, 
to  the  wonder  of  those  who  had  accompanied  him  in  this 
pursuit." 
The  Scent  ^  sfr°ng  characteristic  of  the  Bloodhound  is 

of  the  of  course  his  remarkable  scent  for  blood. 
Bloodhound.  "Bloodhounds,"  says  Bingley,  "were  formerly 
used  in  certain  districts  lying  between  England  and  Scot- 
land, that  were  much  infested  by  robbers  and  murderers; 
and  a  tax  was  laid  on  the  inhabitants  for  keeping  and 
maintaining  a  certain  number  of  these  animals.  Some  few 
are  yet  kept  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  in 
the  lodges  of  the  royal  forests,  where  they  are  used  in  pur- 
suit of  deer  that  have  been  previously  wounded.  They  are 
also  sometimes  employed  in  discovering  deer-stealers,  whom 
they  infallibly  trace  by  the  blood  that  issues  from  the  wounds 
of  their  victims.  A  very  extraordinary  instance  of  this 
occurred  in  the  New  Forest,  in  the  year  1810,  and  was 
related  to  me  by  the  Right  Hon.  G.  H.  Rose.  A  person, 
in  getting  over  a  stile  into  a  field  near  the  Forest,  remarked 
that  there  wae  blood  upon  it.  Immediately  afterwards  he 
recollected  that  some  deer  had  been  killed,  and  several 
sheep  stolen  in  the  neighbourhood;  and  that  this  might 
possibly  be  the  blood  of  one  that  had  been  killed  in  the 
preceding  night.  The  man  went  to  the  nearest  lodge  to 
give  information;  but  the  keeper  being  from  home,  he  was 
under  the  necessity  of  going  to  Rhinefield  Lodge,  which 
was  at  a  considerable  distance.  Toomer,  the  under-keeper, 
went  with  him  to  the  place,  accompanied  by  a  bloodhound. 
The  dog,  when  brought  to  the  spot,  was  laid  on  the  scent; 


THE  STAG-DOG.  127 

and  after  following  for  about  a  mile  the  track  which  the 
depredator  had  taken,  he  came  at  last  to  a  heap  of  furze 
fagots  belonging  to  the  family  of  a  cottager.  The  woman 
of  the  house  attempted  to  drive  the  dog  away,  but  was  pre- 
vented; and  on  the  fagots  being  removed  a  hole  was  dis- 
covered in  the  ground,  whjph  contained  the  body  of  a 
sheep  that  had  recently  been  killed,  and  also  a  considerable 
quantity  of  salted  meat.  The  circumstance  which  renders 
this  account  the  more  remarkable  is,  that  the  dog  was  not 
brought  to  the  scent  until  more  than  sixteen  hours  had 
elapsed  after  the  man  had  carried  away  the  sheep." 
The  stag-  "  The  stag  hound, "  says  Colonel  Smith,  "  was  a 

Hound,  large  stately  animal,  equal  or  little  less  than  the 
blood  hound,  and  originally,  like  that  race,  slow,  sure,  cautious 
and  steady."  "The  modern  hound  is  perhaps  still  handsomer, 
though  somewhat  smaller;  and  the  breed  having  been  crossed 
with  the  fox  hound  is  now  much  faster."  The  stag  hunt 
having  declined  in  public  favour  they  have  ceased  to  be  bred 
in  packs  for  hunting  purposes. 

A  stag-  "  Many  years  since, "  says  Captain  Brown,  "  a  very 
Hunt,  large  stag  was  turned  out  of  Whinfield  Park  in  the 
county  of  Westmoreland,  and  was  pursued  by  the  hounds 
till,  by  accident  or  fatigue,  the  whole  pack  was  thrown  out 
with  the  exception  of  two  dogs  which  continued  the  chase. 
Its  length  is  uncertain,  but  the  chase  was  seen  at  Red  Kirk 
near  Annan  in  Scotland,  distant  by  the  post  road  about  forty- 
six  miles.  The  stag  returned  to  the  park  from  which  he  had 
set  out,  so  that  considering  the  circuitous  route  which  it 
pursued,  it  is  supposed  to  have  run  over  not  less  than  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles.  It  was  its  greatest  and  last 
achievement,  for  it  leapt  the  wall  of  the  park  and  immedi- 
ately expired ;  the  hounds  were  also  found  dead  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  wall  which  they  had  been  unable  to  leap. 
An  inscription  was  placed  on  a  tree  in  the  park,  in  memory 
of  the  animals,  and  the  horns  of  the  stag,  the  largest  ever 


128  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

seen  in  that  part  of  the  country,  were  placed  over  it." 
The  For-  "  *n  giymg  a  description  of  the  various  breeds  of 
Hound,  dogs,"  says  Mr.  Jesse,  "everyone  must  be  aware, 
that  by  crossing  and  recrossing  them  many  of  those  we  now 
see  have  but  little  claim  to  originality.  The  fox-hound,  the  old 
Irish  wolf-dog,  and  the  Colley  or  shepherd's  dog,  may  per- 
haps be  considered  as  possessing  the  greatest  purity  of  blood. " 
Mr.  Jesse  then  refers  to  a  picture  of  a  pack  of  hounds  in 
Wilkinson's  "  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Egyptians, "  a  picture 
which  was  copied  from  a  painting  found  in  one  of  the  tombs 
of  the  Pharaohs,  in  which  "every  individual  hound  is  cha- 
racteristic of  the  present  breed. "  If  this  be  so,  as  Mr.  Jesse 
says,  "  this  breed  must  be  considered  of  a  much  more  ancient 
date  than  is  generally  supposed."  The  Fox-hound  is  des- 
cribed by  Colonel  Smith  as  "  somewhat  lower  at  the  shoulders 
and  more  slenderly  built"  than  the  stag-hound.  His  colour 
is  "  white,  but  commonly  marked  with  larger  clouds  of  black 
and  tan,  one  on  each  side  the  head,  covering  the  ears,  the 
same  on  each  flank  and  one  at  the  root  of  the  tail."  The 
Fox-hound  has  great  strength  and  endurance,  and  will  run 
ten  hours  in  pursuit  of  the  fox. 

The  Fox-hound's  Many  extraordinary  stories  are  told  of  the 
Tenacity.  Fox-hound's  ardour  for  sport.  According  to 
Mr.  Jesse,  a  bitch  was  on  one  occasion  taken  in  labour  while 
in  the  hunting  field,  and  after  giving  birth  to  a  pup  took  it 
in  its  mouth  and  pursued  the  chase.  Another  bitch,  whose 
eye  had  been  struck  from  the  socket  accidentally  by  the  lash 
of  the  whipper-in  who  did  not  believe  her  challenge,  pursued 
the  fox  alone  for  a  great  distance  with  her  eye  pendant,  until 
the  rest  of  the  pack  came  up  and  the  fox  was  killed.  Per- 
haps one  of  the  most  remarkable  instances  of  tenacity  of 
purpose  in  an  animal  is  that  quoted  by  Mr.  Jesse  from  the 
supplement  to  Mr.  Daniel's  "Rural  Sports."  "The  circum- 
stance took  place  in  the  year  1808,  in  the  counties  of 
Inverness  and  Perth,  and  perhaps  surpasses  any  length  of 


THE  HARRIER  AND  THE  BEAGLE.  129 

pursuit  known  in  the  annals  of  hunting.  On  the  8th  of  June 
in  that  year,  a  fox  and  hound  were  seen  near  Dunkeld  in 
Perthshire,  on  the  high  road,  proceeding  at  a  slow  trotting 
pace.  The  dog  was  about  fifty  yards  behind  the  fox,  and 
each  was  so  fatigued  as  not  to  gain  on  the  other.  A  coun- 
tryman very  easily  caught  the  fox,  and  both  it  and  the  dog 
were  taken  to  a  gentleman's  house  in  the  neighbourhood, 
where  the  fox  died.  It  was  afterwards  ascertained  that  the 
hound  belonged  to  the  Duke  of  Gordon,  and  that  the  fox 
was  started  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  June,  on  the  top 
of  those  hills  called  Monaliadh,  which  separate  Badenoch 
from  Fort  Augustus.  From  this  it  appeared  that  the  chase 
lasted  four  days,  and  that  the  distance  traversed  from  the 
place  where  the  fox  was  unkennelled  to  the  spot  where 
it  was  caught,  without  making  any  allowances  for  doubles, 
crosses,  etc.,  and  as  the  crow  flies,  exceeded  seventy 
miles." 

The  Harrier.  "The  Harrier,"  says  Colonel  Smith,  "so  called 
from  being  usually  applied  to  hare  hunting  is  smaller  than 
the  fox-hound,  not  exceeding  eighteen  inches  at  the  shoulder. 
It  is  entirely  an  artificial  breed  and  is  often  confounded  with 
the  beagle." 

The  Beagle.  The  Beagle  is  called  by  Mr.  Jesse,  "  a  Fox- 
hound in  miniature,  "  and  he  adds  nothing  can  well  be  more 
perfect  than  the  shape  of  these  small  dogs.  "  In  Queen  Eli- 
zabeth's reign,  "  says  Colonel  Smith,  "  the  fanciers  bred  a  race 
so  small,  that  a  complete  cry  of  them  could  be  carried  out 
to  the  field  in  a  pair  of  panniers.  That  princess  had  little 
singing  beagles  which  could  be  placed  in  a  man's  glove !  At 
present  they  are  about  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  at  the 
shoulders,  stout  and  compact  in  make,  with  long  ears,  and 
either  marked  with  a  bright  streak  or  spot  of  white  about 
the  neck  on  a  dark  brown  coat,  or  white  with  spots  like  a 
harrier,  of  black  and  red.  They  are  slow  but  persevering, 
and  are  sufficiently  sure  of  killing  their  game." 

Q 


130  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

The  Dalmatian  Colonel  Smith  places  the  Dalmatian  dog 
Dog.  with  the  hounds  on  the  ground  of  similarity 
of  general  structure.  Elegant  in  form  and  beautiful  in  mak- 
ing it  is  said  to  be  less  keen  in  scent  and  less  sagacious  than 
other  dogs.  Sagacious  or  not,  it  was  one  of  these  dogs  that 
Lord  Maynard  found  awaiting  him  at  his  house  in  England 
after  having  lost  him  in  France. 

The  Turnspit.  "The  Turnspit,"  says  Captain  Brown,  "derived  its 
name  from  the  service  in  which  it  was  engaged  before  the 
invention  of  machinery  to  do  the  same  work,  and,  what  is 
remarkable,  now  that  the  office  is  extinct,  so  also  has  nearly 
become  the  species  which  used  to  perform  it."  "I  have  now 
in  my  kitchen,"  said  the  Duke  de  Laincourt,  to  M.  Descartes, 
"two  turnspits  which  take  their  turns  regularly  every  other 
day  in  the  wheel:  one  of  them,  not  liking  his  employment, 
hid  himself  on  the  day  he  should  have  wrought,  when  his 
companion  was  forced  to  mount  the  wheel  in  his  stead;  but 
crying  and  wagging  his  tail,  he  intimated  that  those  in  atten- 
dance should  first  follow  him.  He  immediately  conducted 
them  to  a  garret,  where  he  dislodged  the  idle  dog,  and  killed 
him  immediately."  Another  instance  is  recorded  by  Captain 
Brown  as  follows :  "  When  the  cook  had  prepared  the  meat 
for  roasting,  he  found  that  the  dog  which  should  have  wrought 
the  spit  had  disappeared.  He  attempted  to  employ  another, 
but  it  bit  his  leg  and  fled.  Soon  after,  however,  the  refrac- 
tory dog  entered  the  kitchen  driving  before  him  the  truant 
turnspit,  which  immediately  of  its  own  accord  went  into  the 
wheel."  It  is  easy  to  see  from  these  stories  that  the  occupa- 
tion was  not  a  popular  one  and  it  is  well  that  it  is  no  longer 
a  necessary  one. 

The  Pointer.  The  pointer  (Canis  avicularis)  as  resembling 
the  race  of  hounds,  more  than  any  other  of  the  shooting  or 
gun  dogs  is  placed  next  to  them  in  the  classification  of 
Colonel  Smith,  who  says :  "  In  their  present  qualities  of 
standing  fixed  and  pointing  to  game,  we  see  the  result  of  a 


THE  POINTER.  131 

long  course  of  severe  training ;  and  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that 
by  a  succession  of  generations  having  been  constantly  edu- 
cated to  this  purpose,  it  has  become  almost  innate,  and  young 
dogs  of  the  true  breed  point  with  scarcely  any  instruction : 
this  habit  is  so  firm  in  some  that  the  late  Mr.  Gilpin  is 
reported  to  have  painted  a  brace  of  pointers  while  in  the 
act,  and  that  they  stood  an  hour  and  a  quarter  without 
moving."  A  smooth  dog,  resembling  the  fox-hound  in  his 
markings,  though  sometimes  entirely  black,  the  pointer  is  used 
by  sportsmen  to  point  them  to  the  spot  where  the  game  is 
to  be  found.  "It  ranges  the  fields,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "until 
it  scents  the  hare  or  partridge  lying  close  on  the  ground. 
It  then  remains  still  as  if  carved  in  stone,  every  limb  fixed, 
and  the  tail  pointing  straight  behind  it.  In  this  attitude  it 
remains  until  the  gun  is  discharged,  reloaded,  and  the  sports- 
man has  reached  the  place  where  the  bird  sprang." 
The  Pointer  as  The  pointer  is  a  keen  sportsman  and  will 
a  Sportsman,  "point"  without  tiring  while  worthily  supported 
by  the  gun,  but  many  stories  are  told  of  his  disgust  at  a  bad 
shot  and  his  refusal  to  "point"  for  unskilful  sportsmen.  The 
following  amusing  story  is  told  by  Captain  Brown  and  is 
quoted  as  follows  by  Mr.  Jesse :  "  A  gentleman,  on  his 
requesting  the  loan  of  a  pointer-dog  from  a  friend,  was 
informed  by  him  that  the  dog  would  behave  very  well  so 
long  as  he  could  kill  his  birds ;  but  if  he  frequently  missed 
them,  it  would  run  home  and  leave  him.  The  dog  was  sent, 
and  the  following  day  was  fixed  for  trial;  but,  unfortunately, 
his  new  master  was  a  remarkably  bad  shot.  Bird  after  bird 
rose  and  was  fired  at,  but  still  pursued  its  flight  untouched, 
till,  at  last,  the  pointer  became  careless,  and  often  missed 
his  game.  As  if  seemingly  willing,  however,  to  give  one 
chance  more,  he  made  a  dead  stop  at  a  fern-bush,  with  his 
nose  pointed  downward,  the  fore-foot  bent,  and  his  tail  straight 
and  steady.  In  this  position  he  remained  firm  till  the  sports- 
man was  close  to  him,  with  both  barrels  cocked,  then  mov- 


132  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

ing  steadily  forward  for  a  few  paces,  he  at  last  stood  still 
near  a  bunch  of  heather,  the  tail  expressing  the  anxiety  of 
the  mild  by  moving  regularly  backwards  and  forwards.  At 
last  out  sprang  a  fine  old  blackcock.  Bang,  bang,  went  both 
barrels,  but  the  bird  escaped  unhurt.  The  patience  of  the 
dog  was  now  quite  exhausted ;  and,  instead  of  dropping  to 
charge,  he  turned  boldly  round,  placed  his  tail  between  his 
legs,  gave  one  howl,  long  and  loud,  and  set  off  as  fast  as  he 
could  to  his  own  home."  The  pointer  has  been  known  to 
lie  down  without  bidding  beside  game  which  has  been  dropped 
from  a  bag,  after  a  long  day's  shooting,  and  watch  it  faith- 
fully until  relieved  on  the  following  day,  when  the  missing 
birds  were  searched  for  and  found. 

The  Setter.  The  Setter  (Cam's  Index)  divides  with  the 
pointer  the  duty  of  attending  the  sportsman  on  his  shooting 
expeditions.  According  to  Captain  Brown  he  was  "  originally 
derived  from  a  cross  between  the  Spanish  pointer  and  the 
large  water  spaniel  and  was  justly  celebrated  for  his  fine 
scent."  Many  crossings  have  considerably  varied  the  breed, 
of  which  the  Irish  is  now  considered  purer  than  the  English 
and  Scotch  breeds.  "  In  figure, "  says  Colonel  Smith,  "  they 
participate  of  the  pointer  and  the  Spaniel,  though  larger 
than  the  latter.  In  England  they  are  white,  or  white  with 
black  or  brown  marks."  They  are  intelligent,  affectionate 
and  docile,  and  often  show  great  sagacity  outside  the  domain 
of  sport. 
The  Scent  of  Col.  Hutchinson  says,  "I  was  partridge -shooting 

the  Setter,  the  season  before  last  with  an  intimate  friend. 
The  air  was  soft,  and  there  was  a  good  breeze.  We  came 
upon  a  large  turnip-field,  deeply  trenched  on  account  of  its 
damp  situation.  A  white  setter,  that  habitually  carried  a 
lofty  head,  drew  for  awhile,  and  then  came  to  a  point.  We 
got  up  to  her.  She  led  us  across  some  ridges,  when  her 
companion,  a  jealous  dog  (a  pointer),  which  had  at  first 
backed  correctly,  most  improperly  pushed  on  in  front,  but, 


THE   SETTER.  133 

not  being  able  to  acknowledge  the  scent,  went  off,  clearly 
imagining  the  bilch  was  in  error.  She,  however,  held  on, 
and  in  beautiful  style  brought  us  up  direct  to  a  covey.  My 
friend  and  I  agreed  that  she  must  have  been  but  little,  if  at 
all,  less  than  one  hundred  yards  off  when  she  first  winded 
the  birds ;  and  it  was  clear  to  us  that  they  could  not  have 
been  running,  for  the  breeze  came  directly  across  the  furrows, 
and  she  had  led  us  in  the  wind's  eye.  We  thought  the 
point  the  more  remarkable,  as  it  is  generally  supposed  that 
the  strong  smell  of  turnips  diminishes  a  dog's  power  of 
scenting  birds." 

The  Setter's  Mr.  Huet  tells  the  following  story  of  the  sagacity 
Sagacity.  of  the  setter.  "  The  gamekeeper  had,  on  one  oi 
the  short  days  of  December,  shot  at  and  wounded  a  deer. 
Hoping  to  run  him  down  before  night,  he  instantly  put  the 
dog  upon  the  track,  which  followed  it  at  full  speed,  and  soon 
was  out  of  sight.  At  length  it  grew  dark,  and  the  gamekeeper 
returned  home,  thinking  he  should  find  the  setter  arrived 
there  before  him ;  but  he  was  disappointed,  and  became  ap- 
prehensive that  his  dog  might  have  lost  himself,  or  fallen  a 
prey  to  some  ravenous  animal.  The  next  morning,  however, 
we  were  all  greatly  rejoiced  to  see  him  come  running  into 
the  yard,  whence  he  directly  hastened  to  the  door  of  my 
apartment,  and,  on  being  admitted,  ran,  with  gestures  expres- 
sive of  solicitude  and  eagerness,  to  a  corner  of  the  room 
where  guns  were  placed.  We  understood  the  hint,  and,  taking 
the  guns,  followed  him.  He  led  us  not  by  the  road  which 
he  himself  had  taken  out  of  the  wood,  but  by  beaten  paths 
half  round  it,  and  then  by  several  wood-cutters'  tracks  in 
different  directions,  to  a  thicket,  where,  following  him  a  few 
paces,  we  found  the  deer  which  he  had  killed.  The  dog 
seems  to  have  rightly  judged  that  we  should  have  been  obliged 
to  make  our  way  with  much  difficulty  through  almost  the 
whole  length  of  the  wood,  in  order  to  come  to  the  deer  in  a 
straight  direction,  and  he  therefore  led  us  a  circuitous  but 


134  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

open  and  convenient  road.  Between  the  legs  of  the  deer, 
which  he  had  guarded  during  the  night  against  the  beasts  of 
prey  that  might  otherwise  have  seized  upon  it,  he  had 
scratched  a  hole  in  the  snow,  and  filled  it  with  dry  leaves 
for  his  bed.  The  extraordinary  sagacity  which  he  had  dis- 
played upon  this  occasion  rendered  him  doubly  valuable  to 
us,  and  it  therefore  caused  us  very  serious  regret  when,  in 
the  ensuing  summer,  the  poor  animal  went  mad,  possibly  in 
consequence  of  his  exposure  to  the  severe  frost  of  that  night, 
and  it  became  necessary  for  the  gamekeeper  to  shoot  him, 
which  he  could  not  do  without  shedding  tears.  He  said  he 
would  willingly  have  given  his  best  cow  to  save  him ;  and  I 
confess  myself  that  I  would  not  have  hesitated  to  part  with 
my  best  horse  upon  the  same  terms." 

The  Spaniel.  There  are  many  varieties  of  the  Spaniel  of  which 
the  Water  Spaniel,  the  King  Charles  Spaniel,  the  Blenheim 
and  the  Maltese  Spaniels  are  the  best  known.  The  Water 
Spaniels  figure  on  some  of  the  later  monuments  of  Rome 
and  so  prove  their  antiquity.  Colonel  Smith  describes  the 
Spaniel  as  a  small  setter,  with  silky  hair -and  fine  long  vil- 
lous  ears ;  black,  brown  pied,  liver  coloured,  white  and  black- 
and-white,  the  water  spaniel  differing  from  the  other  species 
chiefly  in  his  readiness  to  hunt  and  swim  in  the  water  and 
the  hair  being  somewhat  harder  to  the  touch.  The  spaniel 
has  a  great  affection  for  his  master  and  is  never  tired  of 
testifying  his  appreciation  of  his  kindness.  Colonel  Smith 
mentions  a  dog  allied  to  the  spaniel  race,  who  at  the  time 
of  his  writing  (April  1840)  had  been  lying  on  the  grave  of 
his  mistress  for  three  days,  refusing  all  food,  and  was  on  that 
day  being  forcibly  removed.  Spaniels  are  often  very  intel- 
ligent, displaying  the  same  sagacity  as  other  and  larger  dogs 
and  in  the  same  way.  Mr.  Jesse  mentions  a  King  Charles 
spaniel  who  was  locked  by  his  master  in  a  room  in  Vere 
St.  Clare  Market,  one  afternoon  about  half  past  five,  while  he 
went  with  his  family  to  Drury  Lane  theatre.  About  eight 


THE  SPANIEL.  135 

o'clock  in  the  evening  the  dog  escaped  his  confinement  and 
found  his  way  to  the  theatre  where  he  discovered  his  master 
in  the  midst  of  the  pit,  though  it  was  crowded  at  the  time. 
The  Blenheim  spaniel  is  similar  to  the  King  Charles  breed, 
though  somewhat  different  in  its  markings,  fuller  about  the 
muzzle  and  shorter  in  the  back.  Blenheims  have  been  known 
to  show  great  intelligence  and  affection.  A  story  is  told  of 
one  who  upon  being  attacked  by  two  cats,  obtained  the 
assistance  of  a  third  cat,  waylaid  his  enemies  one  at  a  time 
and,  with  the  assistance  of  his  friend,  taught  them  better 
manners.  The  Maltese  dog  is  another  favourite  species,  much 
admired  and  petted  by  ladies. 

The  Sagacity  Captain  Brown  gives  the  following  from  a  letter 
of  the  "Water  written  by  a  gentleman  at  Dijon  in  France,  to 
Spaniel  ^is  friend  in  London,  dated  August  15,  1764: 
"Since  my  arrival  here  a  man  has  been  broken  on  the 
wheel,  with  no  other  proof  to  condemn  him  than  that  of  a 
water-spaniel.  The  circumstances  attending  it  being  so  very 
singular  and  striking,  I  beg  leave  to  communicate  them  to 
you.  A  farmer,  who  had  been  to  receive  a  sum  of  money, 
was  waylaid,  robbed,  and  murdered,  by  two  villains.  The 
farmer's  dog  returned  with  all  speed  to  the  house  of  the 
person  who  had  paid  the  money,  and  expressed  such  amazing 
anxiety  that  he  would  follow  him,  pulling  him  several  times 
by  the  sleeve  and  skirt  of  the  coat,  that,  at  length,  the  gen- 
tleman yielded  to  his  importunity.  The  dog  led  him  to  the 
field,  a  little  from  the  roadside,  where  the  body  lay.  From 
thence  the  gentleman  went  to  a  public-house,  in  order  to 
alarm  the  country.  The  moment  he  entered,  (as  the  two 
villains  were  there  drinking),  the  dog  seized  the  murderer  by 
the  throat,  and  the  other  made  his  escape.  This  man  lay 
in  prison  three  months,  during  which  time  they  visited  him 
once  a-week  with  the  spaniel,  and  though  they  made  him 
change  his  clothes  with  other  prisoners,  and  always  stand  in 
the  midst  of  a  crowd,  yet  did  the  animal  always  find  him 


136  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

out,  and  fly  at  him.  On  the  day  of  trial,  when  the  prisoner 
was  at  the  bar,  the  dog  was  let  loose  in  the  court-house,  and 
in  the  midst  of  some  hundreds  he  found  him  out  (though 
dressed  entirely  in  new  clothes),  and  would  have  torn  him 
to  pieces  had  he  been  allowed ;  in  consequence  of  which  he 
was  condemned,  and  at  the  place  of  execution  he  confessed 
the  fact." 

The  Terrier.  There  are  many  varieties  of  terrier  including 
numerous  celebrated  breeds.  The  English,  Scotch,  Skye,  Bull 
and  Fox  terriers  being  the  best  known.  Innumerable  stories 
of  the  intelligence  and  sagacity  of  the  various  breeds  might 
be  told  if  space  permitted,  but  it  must  suffice  to  say  that  for 
sportsmanlike  qualities,  for  general  intelligence  and  sagacity, 
and  for  affection  for  his  master,  the  terrier  of  whatever  breed 
will  hold  his  own  against  any  other  dog.  Dogs  are  said  to 
have  natural  antipathies,  and  that  of  the  Bull-dog  for  the 
bull  is  an  obvious  illustration.  An  equal  antipathy  is  shown 
by  the  English  terrier  for  the  rat  and  by  the  Fox-terrier 
for  the  cat,  though  the  latter  is  perhaps  as  much  a  matter 
of  education  as  of  nature. .  Terriers  are,  however,  among  the 
best  known  of  dogs  and  therefore  need  the  less  description. 

The  Mastiff.  The  Mastiff  is  said  to  be  of  an  original  breed 
indigenous  to  England,  whence  some  were  exported  to  Italy  in 
the  days  of  the  Roman  emperors.  The  breed  has  since  been 
crossed  by  stag  and  blood  hounds  and  the  present  is  a 
magnificent  animal  of  great  power  and  noble  character.  The 
ancient  breed  was  brindled  yellow  and  black,  the  present  is 
usually  deeper  or  lighter  buff  with  dark  muzzle  and  ears. 
The  mastiff  is  sometimes  twenty-nine  or  thirty  inches  in 
height  at  the  shoulder. 

The  Mastiff's  The  Mastiff  is  the  best  of  watch  dogs,  for  he 
Fidelity,  brings  an  intelligence  to  bear  upon  his  duty 
which  is  in  the  highest  degree  surprising.  He  has  been 
known  to  walk  by  the  side  of  an  intending  thief  "for- 
bidding his  laying  hands  upon  any  article,  yet  abstaining 


late  No.  7 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


FOX  TERRIERS 


THE  MASTIFF.  137 

from  doing  him  any  bodily  harm,  and  suffering  his  escape 
over  the  walls,"  but  leaving  his  master's  property  intact.  A 
mastiff  who  had  been  left  by  his  master,  who  was  a  sweep, 
in  charge  of  his  bag  of  soot  in  a  narrow  street  in  Southampton, 
refused  to  leave  it  either  for  coaxings  or  threats,  and  rather 
than  desert  his  duty  allowed  himself  to  be  run  over  and  killed. 
The  Mastiff's  ^ne  mastm°  nas  a  powerful  scent,  and  remark- 
Discrimina-  able  skill  in  discovering  the  lost  property  of  his 
tion.  master.  Captain  Brown  gives  the  following  ex- 
tract from  a  letter  from  St.  Germains:  "An  English  gentle- 
man some  time  ago  came  to  our  Vauxhall  with  a  large 
mastiff,  which  was  refused  admittance,  and  the  gentleman 
left  him  in  the  care  of  the  body-guards,  who  are  placed  there. 
The  Englishman,  some  time  after  he  had  entered,  returned 
to  the  gate  and  informed  the  guards  that  he  had  lost  his 
watch,  telling  the  sergeant,  that  if  he  would  permit  him  to 
take  in  the  dog,  he  would  soon  discover  the  thief.  His 
request  being  granted,  the  gentleman  made  motions  to  the 
dog  of  what  he  had  lost,  which  immediately  ran  about 
amongst  the  company,  and  traversed  the  gardens,  till  at  last 
he  laid  hold  of  a  man.  The  gentleman  insisted  that  this 
person  had  got  his  watch;  and  on  being  searched,  not  only 
his  watch,  but  six  others,  were  discovered  in  his  pockets. 
What  is  more  remarkable,  the  dog  possessed  such  a  perfec- 
tion of  instinct  as  to  take  his  master's  watch  from  the  other 
six,  and  carry  it  to  him." 

The  Mastiff      Mr.  Jesse  gives  the  following  story  which  he 
as  Protector.  reprmted  from  a  contemporary  newspaper: 

"A  most  extraordinary  circumstance  has  just  occurred  at 
the  Hawick  toll-bar,  which  is  kept  by  two  old  women.  It 
appears  that  they  had  a  sum  of  money  in  the  house,  and 
were  extremely  alarmed  lest  they  should  be  robbed  of  it. 
Their  fears  prevailed  to  such  an  extent,  that,  when  a  carrier 
whom  they  knew  was  passing  by,  they  urgently  requested  him 
to  remain  with  them  all  night,  which,  however,  his  duties 


138  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

would  not  permit  him  to  do;  but,  in  consideration  of  the 
alarm  of  the  women,  he  consented  to  leave  with  them  a 
large  mastiff  dog.  In  the  night  the  women  were  disturbed 
by  the  uneasiness  of  the  dog,  and  heard  a  noise  apparently 
like  an  attempt  to  force  an  entrance  into  the  premises,  upon 
which  they  escaped  by  the  back-door,  and  ran  to  a  neigh- 
bouring house,  which  happened  to  be  a  blacksmith's  shop. 
They  knocked  at  the  door,  and  were  answered  from  within 
by  the  smith's  wife.  She  said  her  husband  was  absent,  but 
that  she  was  willing  to  accompany  the  terrified  women  to 
their  home.  On  reaching  the  house,  they  heard  a  savage 
but  half-stifled  growling  from  the  dog.  On  entering  they  saw 
the  body  of  a  man  hanging  half  in  and  half  out  of  their 
little  window,  whom  the  dog  had  seized  by  the  throat,  and 
was  still  worrying.  On  examination,  the  man  proved  to  be 
their  neighbour  the  blacksmith,  dreadfully  torn  about  the  throat, 
and  quite  dead." 

The  Bull-  The  Bull-dog  (Cants  Anglicus),  is  said  to  be 
Dog.  an  original  English  breed,  and  Colonel  Smith 
suggests  that  this  dog  rather  than  the  mastiff  was  the  one 
which  flourished  in  England  hi  Roman  times.  Not  indeed 
the  breed  as  it  at  present  exists,  but  "one  little  inferior  to 
the  mastiff,"  "but  with  the  peculiar  features  of  the  bull  form 
more  strongly  marked."  "The  bull-dog,"  says  Colonel  Smith, 
"differs  from  all  others,  even  from  the  mastiff,  in  giving  no 
warning  of  his  attack  by  his  barking,  he  grapples  his  oppo- 
nents without  in  the  least  estimating  their  comparative  weight 
and  powers.  We  have  seen  one  pinning  an  American  Bison 
and  holding  his  nose  down  till  the  animal  gradually  brought 
forward  its  hind  feet  and  crushing  the  dog  to  death  tore  his 
muzzle  out  of  the  fangs,  most  dreadfully  mangled.  We  have 
known  another  hallooed  on  to  attack  a  disabled  eagle;  the 
bird  unable  to  escape,  threw  himself  on  the  back,  and  as  the 
dog  sprang  at  his  throat,  struck  him  with  his  claws,  one  of 
which  penetrating  the  skull,  killed  him  instantly,  and  caused 


THE  BULL-DOG.  1.39 

his  master  the  loss  of  a  valued  animal  and  one  hundred 
dollars  in  the  wager."  "  The  bull-dog  is  possessed  of  less 
sagacity  and  less  attachment  than  any  of  the  hound  tribe; 
he  is  therefore  less  favoured,  and  more  rarely  bred  with 
care,  excepting  by  professed  amateurs  of  sports  and  feelings 
little  creditable  to  humanity.  He  is  of  moderate  size,  but 
entirely  moulded  for  strength  and  elasticity."  He  never 
leaves  his  hold,  when  once  he  has  got  it,  while  life  lasts, 
hence  he  has  become  the  type  of  obstinate  pertinacity;  and 
unflinching  courage. 

The  Poodle  The  Poodle  dog  while  possessing  many  natural 
D°g-  qualities  which  endear  it  to  its  owner,  is  capable 
of  great  cultivation  and  is  for  this  reason  much  affected  by 
those  who  train  dogs  for  public  performances.  Of  the  clever 
tricks  the  poodle  has  been  trained  to  perform  many  stories 
are  told,  among  which  the  following  from  M.  Blaze's  "  His- 
tory of  the  Dog,"  as  quoted  in  Mr.  Jesse's  "Anecdotes  of 
Dogs,"  is  one  of  the  most  amusing. 

"  A  shoe-black  on  the  Pont  Neuf  at  Paris  had  a  poodle 
dog,  whose  sagacity  brought  no  small  profit  to  his  master. 
If  the  dog  saw  a  person  with  well-polished  boots  go  across 
the  bridge,  he  contrived  to  dirty  them,  by  having  first  rolled 
himself  in  the  mud  of  the  Seine.  His  master  was  then 
employed  to  clean  them.  An  English  gentleman,  who  had 
suffered  more  than  once  from  the  annoyance  of  having  his 
boots  dirtied  by  a  dog,  was  at  last  induced  to  watch  his 
proceedings,  and  thus  detected  the  tricks  he  was  playing  for 
his  master's  benefit.  He  was  so  much  pleased  with  the 
animal's  sagacity,  that  he  purchased  him  at  a  high  price  and 
conveyed  him  to  London.  On  arriving  there,  he  was  con- 
fined to  the  house  till  he  appeared  perfectly  satisfied  with 
his  new  master  and  his  new  situation.  He  at  last,  however, 
contrived  to  escape,  and  made  his  way  back  to  Paris,  where 
he  rejoined  his  old  master,  and  resumed  his  former  occu- 
pation." 


140  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Weasels  ^e  come  next  to  *^e  family  of  the  Mustelidae 
Otters  and  which  includes  Weasels,  Otters  and  Badgers,  which 
Badgers.  we  ^g  ^  t^e  hea(js  of  the  three  sub-families 
into  which  it  is  divided.  The  first  of  these  includes  the 
Pine  Marten,  occasionally  found  in  Ireland  and  Scotland  but  more 
commonly  in  different  parts  of  Europe;  the  Sable,  which  belongs 
to  northern  Europe  and  Asia;  the  American  Sable,  which 
supplies  the  English  market  with  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
skins  annually;  the  Ermine  or  Stoat,  still  to  be  found  in 
Great-Britain  and  familiar  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe, 
Africa  and  America;  the  Weasel  which  has  much  the  same 
locale  as  the  Ermine;  the  Ferret  which  hails  from  Africa  and 
which  is  cultivated  in  England  for  its  use  in  the  destruction 
of  vermin;  and  the  Glutton  (Gulo  luscus)  which  is  found 
principally  in  North  America.  The  Polecat  is  also  a  member 
of  this  family.  It  is  about  seventeen  inches  long  and  in  form 
resembles  the  weasel.  Its  colour  is  deep  chocolate.  It 
generally  lives  in  the  neighbourhood  of  houses  on  hares, 
rabbits,  and  birds.  When  pinched  for  food  it  will  also 
catch  and  eat  fish.  It  is  remarkable  for  an  insufferably 
fetid  odour. 

The  WeaseL  The  weasel  though  thought  by  some  to  be 
incapable  of  domestication  has,  like  most  other  animals  who 
have  had  the  chance,  shown  itself  amenable  to  kindly  treat- 
ment Mdlie.  de  Laistre  possessed  one  which  she  kept  in 
her  chamber,  dispelling  its  strong  odours  by  perfumes.  This 
weasel  displayed  towards  her  extravagant  evidence  of  affection. 
"If  the  servant  sets  it  at  liberty  before  I  am  up  in  the 
morning,"  she  writes,  "  after  a  thousand  gambols,  it  comes  into 
my  bed,  and  reposes  in  my  hand  or  on  my  bosom.  If  I 
am  up  before  it  is  let  out,  it  will  fly  to  me  in  raptufe,  and 
spend  half  an  hour  in  caressing  me.  The  curiosity  of  this 
little  pet  is  unbounded,  for  it  is  impossible  to  open  a  drawer 
or  box,  without  its  roving  through  every  part  of  it;  if  even 
a  piece  of  paper  or  a  book  is  looked  at,  it  will  also  examine 


WEASELS,    OTTERS  AND  BADGERS.  141 

it  with  attention."  This  weasel  lived  on  friendly  terms  with 
both  a  cat  and  a  dog  who  shared  his  mistress'  favours.  That 
the  weasel  can  defend  himself  when  attacked  is  shown 
by  the  following  incident  told  by  Mr.  Bell:  "  As  a  gentleman 
was  riding  over  his  grounds,  he  saw,  at  a  short  distance  from 
him,  a  kite  pounce  on  some  object  on  the  ground,  and  rise 
with  it  in  his  talons.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  the  kite 
began  to  show  signs  of  great  uneasiness,  rising  rapidly  in  the 
air,  or  as  quickly  falling,  and  wheeling  irregularly  round,  whilst 
evidently  endeavouring  to  free  himself  from  some  obnoxious 
thing  with  his  feet.  After  a  short  but  sharp  contest,  the 
kite  fell  suddenly  to  the  earth.  The  gentleman  instantly  rode 
up  to  the  spot,  when  a  weasel  ran  away  from  the  kite,  ap- 
parently unhurt,  leaving  the  bird  dead,  with  a  hole  eaten 
through  the  skin  under  the  wing,  and  the  large  blood-vessels 
of  the  part  torn  through."  The  length  of  the  common  weasel 
is  about  eight  inches. 

The  Common  There  are  several  genera  of  Otters.  The  common 
Otter.  otter  (Lutra  vulgaris)  is  known  throughout  Europe 
and  is  not  uncommon  in  Great  Britain.  The  otter  lives 
on  fish,  for  the  hunting  of  which  he  is  admirably  fitted.  He 
is  web-footed  and  has  a  body  of  great  flexibility  and  short 
but  remarkably  muscular  legs.  The  Otter  was  looked  upon 
as  a  friend  by  the  peasants  living  near  salmon  preserves  years 
ago,  for  after  landing  his  prey  he  was  content  with  but  a 
small  portion  for  himself,  and  left  the  rest  which  the  peasants 
readily  appropriated. 

"Otters,"  says  Mr.  St.  John,  "are  very  affectionate  animals; 
the  young  anxiously  seek  their  mother  if  she  should  be  killed ; 
and  if  the  young  are  injured,  the  parent  hovers  near  them  till 
she  is  herself  destroyed.  If  one  of  a  pair  be  killed,  the  one  that 
is  left  will  hunt  for  its  mate  with  untiring  perseverance;  and  if 
one  be  caught  in  a  trap,  its  companion  will  run  round  and  round, 
endeavouring  to  set  it  free,  on  which  occasions,  though  so  quiet 
at  other  times,  they  make  a  snorting  and  blowing  like  a  horse." 


142  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

"A  labourer  going  to  his  work,  soon  after  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  saw  a  number  of  animals  coming  towards  him, 
and  stood  quietly  by  the  hedge  till  they  came  alongside  of 
him.  He  then  perceived  four  old  otters,  probably  dams, 
and  about  twenty  young  ones.  He  took  a  stick  out  of  the 
hedge  and  killed  one.  Directly  it  began  to  squeak,  all  the 
four  old  ones  turned  back,  and  stood  till  the  other  young 
ones  had  escaped  through  the  hedge,  and  then  went  quietly 
themselves.  Several  families  were  thus  journeying  together, 
and  probably  they  had  left  their  former  abode  from  not 
finding  a  sufficiency  of  food."  Otters  have  often  been  tamed 
and  taught  to  catch  fish  for  their  masters.  Captain  Brown 
tells  of  an  otter  which  was  caught  when  young  and  trained 
by  James  Campbell  near  Inverness.  "  It  was  frequently  employed 
in  catching  fish,  and  would,  sometimes,  take  eight  or  ten 
salmon  in  a  day.  If  not  prevented,  it  always  made  an 
attempt  to  break  the  fish  behind  the  anal  fin,  which  is  next 
the  tail;  and,  as  soon  as  one  was  taken  away,  it  always 
dived  in  pursuit  of  more.  It  was  equally  dexterous  at  sea 
fishing,  and  took  great  numbers  of  young  cod,  and  other 
fish,  there.  When  tired,  it  would  refuse  to  fish  any  longer, 
and  was  then  rewarded  with  as  much  as  it  could  devour. 
Having  satisfied  its  appetite,  it  always  coiled  itself  round, 
and  fell  asleep:  in  which  state  it  was  generally  carried  home." 
Professor  Steller  says  that  on  killing  and  skinning  a  female 
otter,  which  he  found  at  a  place  at  which  he  had  deprived 
her  of  her  young  eight  days  previously,  he  found  her  quite 
wasted  away  from  grief  at  the  loss  of  her  progeny. 

The  Badger.  There  are  several  varieties  of  Badger,  the 
Indian  and  the  American  being  the  most  important,  re- 
spectively of  the  eastern  and  western  worlds.  The  common 
badger  (Meles  taxus),  which  is  found  in  different  parts  of 
England,  feeds  upon  roots,  bulbs,  fruits,  and  all  kinds  of 
vegetables,  as  well  as  small  animals,  snails  and  worms.  He 
has  also  a  great  fancy  for  eggs.  He  lives  in  burrows,  which 


THE  RATEL  AND  THE  SKUNK.         143 

form  passages  having  a  central  chamber  and  various  anti- 
chambers,  which  he  makes  in  sandy  and  gravelly  soil.  He 
is  nocturnal  in  his  habits.  "  When  pursued,"  says  Mrs.  Bowdich, 
"  he  constantly  impedes  the  progress  of  his  enemies  by  throw- 
ing the  soil  behind  him,  so  as  to  fill  up  the  passages,  while 
he  escapes  to  the  surface."  He  is  a  formidable  opponent 
to  his  enemies,  as  his  skin  is  so  tough  and  his  bite  so  severe, 
and  he  displays  much  sagacity  in  avoiding  traps  and  escap- 
ing confinement.  Mr.  St.  John  placed  one  in  a  paved  court 
for  security,  but  before  the  next  morning  he  had  displaced 
a  stone  and  burrowed  his  way  out  under  the  wall.  Captain 
Brown  tells  an  affecting  story  of  the  feeling  of  a  badger  for 
its  mate.  "Two  persons  in  France  killed  a  badger  and 
proceeded  to  drag  it  towards  a  neighbouring  village.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far  when  they  heard  the  cry  of  an 
animal  in  seeming  distress,  and  stopped  to  listen,  when 
another  badger  approached  them  slowly.  They  at  first 
threw  stones  at  it;  notwithstanding  which,  it  drew  near, 
came  up  to  the  dead  animal,  began  to  lick  it,  and  con- 
tinued its  mournful  cry.  The  men,  surprised  at  this,  desisted 
from  offering  any  further  injury  to  it,  and  again  drew  the 
dead  one  along  as  before;  when  the  living  badger,  deter- 
mined not  to  quit  its  companion,  lay  down  on  it,  taking  it 
gently  by  one  ear,  and  in  that  manner  was  drawn  into  the 
midst  of  the  village;  nor  could  dogs,  boys,  or  men  induce 
it  to  quit  its  situation:  and  to  their  shame  be  it  said,  they 
had  the  inhumanity  to  kill  the  poor  animal,  and  afterwards 
to  burn  it,  declaring  it  could  be  no  other  than  a  witch." 
The  Ratel  "^ne  ^ate^  (Mellivora  capensis)  of  South  and 
and  the  East  Africa  and  the  Skunk  of  Canada  belong 
Skunk.  to  this  family.  The  Ratel  is  a  small  animal 
standing  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  high,  with  a  very  tough 
skin,  which  is  so  loose  that,  to  quote  Sparrman,  "  If  anybody 
catches  hold  of  the  Ratel  by  the  hind  part  of  his  neck,  he 
is  able  to  turn  round,  as  it  were,  in  his  skin,  and  bite  the 


144  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

arm  of  the  person  that  seizes  him."  Dog-like  in  shape, 
the  back  and  head  are  covered  with  a  coat  of  lighter 
colour  than  that  of  the  sides  and  under  part  of  the  body, 
giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  garment.  The  Ratel  is  the 
natural  enemy  of  the  Bees,  his  thick  skin  rendering  him  im- 
pervious to  their  attack,  and  he  is  said  to  show  great  saga- 
city in  tracing  their  nests,  watching  at  sundown,  with  his 
eyes  shaded  by  his  paws,  the  homeward  flight  of  the  honey 
makers  and  then  following  them  to  plunder  and  destroy. 
The  Skunk  is  famous  for  its  offensive  smell,  which  according 
to  Sir  John  Richardson  is  emitted  by  a  deep  yellow  fluid 
which  it  discharges,  and  which  is  so  strong  that  it  retains 
its  disgusting  odour  for  many  days.  It  is  about  eighteen 
inches  in  length,  has  short  legs  and  a  body  that  is  broad 
and  flat.  It  lives  upon  poultry  and  eggs,  small  quadrupeds, 
young  birds,  and  wild  fruits.  Godman  says :  "  Pedestrians, 
called  by  business  or  pleasure  to  ramble  through  the  country 
during  the  morning  or  evening  twilight,  occasionally  see  a 
small  and  pretty  animal  a  short  distance  before  them  in  the 
path,  scampering  forward  without  appearing  much  alarmed, 
and  advancing  in  a  zigzag  or  somewhat  serpentine  direction. 
Experienced  persons  generally  delay  long  enough  to  allow 
this  unwelcome  traveller  to  withdraw  from  the  path;  but  it 
often  happens  that  a  view  of  the  animal  arouses  the  ardour 
of  the  observer,  who,  in  his  fondness  for  sport,  thinks  not  of 
any  result  but  that  of  securing  a  prize.  It  would  be  more 
prudent  to  rest  content  with  pelting  this  quadruped  from  a 
safe  distance,  or  to  drive  it  away  by  shouting  loudly;  but 
almost  all  inexperienced  persons,  the  first  time  such  an  oppor- 
tunity occurs,  rush  forward  with  intent  to  run  the  animal 
down.  This  appears  to  be  an  easy  task;  in  a  few  moments 
it  is  almost  overtaken;  a  few  more  strides  and  the  victim  may 
be  grasped  by  its  long  and  waving  tail — but  the  tail  is  now 
suddenly  curled  over  the  back,  its  pace  is  slackened,  and  in 
one  instant  the  condition  of  things  is  entirely  reversed; — the 


THE  RACCOON  AND   THE   COATL  145 

lately  triumphant  pursuer  is  eagerly  flying  from  his  intended 
prize,  involved  in  an  atmosphere  of  stench,  gasping  for  breath, 
or  blinded  and  smarting  with  pain,  if  his  approach  were  suffi- 
ciently close  to  allow  of  his  being  struck  in  the  eyes  by  the 
pestilent  fluid  of  the  Skunk." 

fj^g  Our  next   concern   is  with  the  family  of  the 

Kaccoon  and  procyonidae    which     includes    several    bear-like 

the  Coati.  animals,  the  Raccoon  and  the  Coati  being  the  best 
known.  The  raccoon  belongs  to  North  America,  the  coati 
to  Central  and  Southern  America.  The  raccoon  is  an 
expert  swimmer,  about  the  size  of  a  fox,  and  of  nocturnal 
habits.  "His  food,"  says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  "is  princi- 
pally small  animals  and  insects."  Oysters  are  also  a  very 
favourite  article  of  its  diet.  It  bites  off  the  hinge  of  the 
oyster,  and  scrapes  out  the  animal  with  its  paws.  Like  a 
squirrel,  when  eating  a  nut,  the  raccoon  usually  holds  its 
food  between  its  fore-paws  pressed  together  and  sits  upon 
its  hind  quarters  while  it  eats.  It  is  said  to  be  as  destruc- 
tive in  a  farm-yard  as  any  fox,  for  it  only  devours  the 
heads  of  the  murdered  fowl.  When  taken  young  it  is  easily 
tamed  but  very  frequently  becomes  blind  soon  after  its 
capture.  The  coati  (Nasua  nasica)  is  distinguished  from  the 
raccoon  by  a  pointed  nose.  In  size  it  resembles  the  cat,  its 
tail  being  as  long  as  its  body.  Like  the  cat  it  is  a  good 
climber,  and  preys  upon  birds.  When  domesticated,  as  it 
is  in  Paraguay,  the  coati  is  kept  in  tether,  as  its  climbing 
habits  render  it  dangerous  to  ornaments  and  furniture.  The 
Kinkajou  (Cercoleptes  caudivolvulus)  of  Demerara  belongs  to 
this  family.  The  Panda  (&lurus  fulgens]  constitutes  another 
family.  It  is  cat-like  in  the  face,  but  otherwise  resembles 
the  bear.  It  lives  in  the  dense  forests  which  clothe  the  de- 
clivities of  the  Himalayas. 

The  Bear.  After  the  lion  and  the  tiger  the  bear  is 
probably  the  most  popular  animal  in  legend  and  story. 
Dr.  Gray  divides  the  bears  into  three  classes:  the  sea  bear, 

10 


146  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

th«  land  bear,  and  the  honey  bear.  The  polar  bear  is  the 
sea  bear;  the  brown  bear,  the  black  bear,  and  the  grizzly 
are  land  bears,  and  the  Malayan  bear  is  the  honey  bear. 
Mr.  Wood  says,  "Bears  and  their  allies  are  mostly  heavy, 
and  walk  with  the  whole  foot  placed  flat  on  the  ground, 
unlike  cats  and  dogs  who  walk  with  merely  their  paws  or 
toes.  They  are  omnivorous,  that  is,  they  can  eat  either 
animal  or  vegetable  food,  so  that  a  leg  of  mutton,  a  pot  of 
honey,  a  potatoe,  or  an  apple  are  equally  acceptable."  The 
bears  of  Kamtchatka  live  principally  on  fish,  which  they  are 
adepts  in  catching.  The  bear  is  found  in  the  polar  regions, 
in  Siberia,  the  Caucasus,  the  Pyrenees,  the  Himalayas,  in 
various  parts  of  Western  Asia,  in  Canada,  and  the  United 
States. 

The  Polar  The  Polar  Bear  is  eight  01  nine  feet  long,  and 
Bear.  a  little  more  than  four  feet  in  height.  He  has 
a  long  nose,  short  ears,  large  legs,  and  a  short  tail.  His 
body  and  neck  are  long,  and  he  has  five  sharp  claws  on 
each  foot.  His  colour  is  a  yellowish  white;  his  hair  long 
and  shaggy.  He  inhabits  Greenland  and  Lapland,  as  far 
north  as  eighty  degrees.  He  lives  on  fish  and  seals  and 
the  bodies  of  whales,  which  are  thrown  ashore  or  which  he 
finds  in  the  sea.  Dr.  R.  Brown  deprecates  the  stories  of  the 
polar  bear's  ferocity  which  he  regards  as  greatly  exaggerated, 
though  he  admits,  that  when  enraged,  or  suffering  from 
hunger,  they  are  formidable  foes.  That  they  are  wary  animals 
the  following  story  quoted  from  Captain  Brown  will  show. 
"  The  captain  of  a  Greenland  whaler,  being  anxious  to  procure 
a  bear  without  injuring  the  skin,  made  trial  of  a  stratagem 
of  laying  the  noose  of  a  rope  in  the  snow,  and  placing  a 
piece  of  kreng  within  it.  A  bear,  ranging  the  neighbouring 
ice,  was  soon  enticed  to  the  spot  by  the  smell  of  burning 
meat.  He  perceived  the  bait,  approached,  and  seized  it  in 
his  mouth;  but  his  foot,  at  the  same  time,  by  a  jerk  of  the 
rope,  being  entangled  in  the  noose,  he  pushed  it  off  with  his 


Plate  No.  8 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  BEAR.  147 

paw,  and  deliberately  retired.  After  having  eaten  the  piece 
he  had  carried  away  with  him,  he  returned.  The  noose, 
with  another  piece  of  kreng,  having  been  replaced,  he  pushed 
the  rope  aside,  and  again  walked  triumphantly  off  with  the 
bait.  A  third  time  the  noose  was  laid ;  but,  excited  to  caution 
by  the  evident  observations  of  the  bear,  the  sailors  buried 
the  rope  beneath  the  snow,  and  laid  the  bait  in  a  deep 
hole  dug  in  the  centre.  The  animal  once  more  approached, 
and  the  sailors  were  assured  of  their  success.  But  Bruin, 
more  sagacious  than  they  expected,  after  snuffing  about  the 
place  for  a  few  moments,  scraped  the  snow  away  with  his 
paw,  threw  the  rope  aside,  and  again  escaped  unhurt  with 
his  prize." 

The  polar  bear  displays  a  great  love  for  its  young  and 
many  pathetic  stories  are  told  of  its  rage  and  grief  at 
the  loss  of  them.  The  following  is  from  Captain  Brown's 
"  Anecdotes  of  Animals. "  "A  Greenland  bear,  with  two  cubs 
under  her  protection,  was  pursued  across  a  field  of  ice  by  a 
party  of  armed  sailors.  At  first,  she  seemed  to  urge  the 
young  ones  to  increase  their  speed,  by  running  before  them, 
turning  round,  and  manifesting,  by  a  peculiar  action  and 
voice,  her  anxiety  for  their  progress;  but,  finding  her  pursuers 
gaining  upon  them,  she  carried,  or  pushed,  or  pitched  them 
alternately  forward,  until  she  effected  their  escape.  In  throwing 
them  before  her,  the  little  creatures  are  said  to  have  placed 
themselves  across  her  path  to  receive  the  impulse,  and,  when 
projected  some  yards  in  advance,  they  ran  '  onwards,  until 
she  overtook  them,  when  they  alternately  adjusted  themselves 
for  another  throw." 

The  Black  The  Black  Bear  (Ursus  Americanus)  is  about 
Bear.  four  an(j  a  half  feet  long  and  three  feet  high. 
He  has  long  feet  terminating  in  five  claws  each.  His  body 
is  short  with  longish  legs,  and  he  has  a  large  head,  with  small 
eyes,  and  a  sharp  nose.  He  has  long,  soft  and  woolly  hair. 
His  food  is  chiefly  fruit,  such  as  acorns,  chestnuts,  grapes, 


148  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  corn ;  but  when  hungry  he  will  feed  on  flesh,  and  attack 
other  animals  with  courage  and  fierceness.  He  climbs  trees, 
and  uses  his  paws  like  hands.  In  winter  he  retires  to  his 
den,  which  is  usually  a  hollow  in  some  decayed  tree,  where 
he  hybernates  until  spring.  Though  of  a  wild  disposition, 
he  can  be  tamed,  and  taught  various  tricks,  in  which  he 
displays  a  good  deal  of  sagacity  and  docility.  The  following 
story  is  quoted  by  Captain  Brown  from  Captains  Lewis'  and 
Clarke's  travels  to  the  source  of  the  Missouri,  as  a  striking 
instance  of  the  astonishing  physical  powers  of  the  bear. 
"  One  evening,  the  men  in  the  hindmost  of  the  canoes,  discov- 
ered a  large  bear  lying  in  the  open  grounds,  about  three 
hundred  paces  from  the  river.  Six  of  them,  all  good  hunters, 
set  out  to  attack  him;  and,  concealing  themselves  by  a  small 
eminence,  came  unperceived  within  forty  paces  of  him.  Four 
of  them  now  fired,  and  each  lodged  a  ball  in  his  body,  two 
of  them  directly  through  the  lungs.  The  enraged  animal 
sprang  up,  and  ran  open-mouthed  at  them.  As  he  came 
near,  the  two  hunters  who  had  reserved  their  fire,  gave  him 
two  wounds,  one  of  which,  breaking  his  shoulder,  retarded 
his  motion  for  a  moment;  but,  before  they  could  reload,  he 
was  so  near,  that  they  were  obliged  to  run  to  the  river,  and, 
when  they  reached  it,  he  had  almost  overtaken  them.  Two 
jumped  into  the  canoe;  the  other  four  separated,  and,  con- 
cealing themselves  in  the  willows,  fired  as  fast  as  each  could 
load.  They  struck  him  several  times,  which  only  exasperated 
him;  and  he  at  last  pursued  two  of  them  so  closely,  that 
they  leaped  down  a  perpendicular  bank  of  twenty  feet  into 
the  river.  The  bear  sprang  after  them,  and  was  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  hindmost,  when  one  of  the  hunters  from  the 
shore  shot  him  in  the  head,  and  killed  him.  They  dragged 
him  to  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  found  that  eight  balls 
had  passed  through  his  body." 

Of  his  docility  Mrs.  Bowdich  gives  the  following  amusing, 
if,  at  the  time,  alarming  illustration.     "A  young  English  officer, 


THE   GRIZZLY  BEAR.  149 

who  was  stationed  at  a  lone  fortress  in  Canada,  amused 
himself  by  taming  a  bear  of  this  species.  He  taught  him 
to  fetch  and  carry,  to  follow  him  like  a  dog,  and  to  wait 
patiently  at  meal  times  for  his  share.  The  bear  accompanied 
him  when  he  returned  to  England,  and  became  a  great 
avourite  with  the  passengers  and  the  ship's  company.  Bruin, 
however,  especially  attached  himself  to  a  little  girl  about 
four  years  old,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  ladies  on  board, 
who  romped  with  him  as  she  would  with  a  dog.  In  one  of 
these  games  of  play,  he  seized  her  with  one  fore-paw,  and 
with  the  other  clambered  and  clung  to  the  rigging,  till  he 
lodged  her  and  himself  in  the  main-top,  where,  regardless 
of  her  cries  and  the  agony  of  her  mother,  he  tried  to 
continue  his  romp.  It  would  not  do  to  pursue  the  pair,  for 
fear  the  bear  should  drop  the  child ;  and  his  master,  knowing 
how  fond  he  was  of  sugar,  had  some  mattresses  placed 
round  the  mast  in  case  the  child  should  fall,  and  then 
strewed  a  quantity  of  sugar  on  the  deck;  he  called  Bruin, 
and  pointed  to  it,  who,  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  came 
down  as  he  went  up,  bringing  the  child  in  safety.  He  was, 
of  course,  deprived  of  his  liberty  during  the  rest  of  his  voyage." 
The  black  bear  is  hunted  for  the  sake  of  his  skin,  many 
thousands  of  skins  being  sent  to  Europe  every  year. 
The  Grizzly  The  Grizzly  Bear  is  an  enormous  animal,  accord- 
Bear.  ing  to  tne  measurement  of  Captains  Lewis  and 
Clarke  of  one  they  killed,  nine  feet  from  nose  to  tail,  though 
they  claim  to  have  seen  one  of  even  larger  size.  It  is  said 
to  attain  to  a  weight  of  800  pounds.  The  fore-foot  of 
the  animal  already  referred  to  exceeded  nine  inches  in 
length,  the  hind  foot  being  eleven  inches  and  three  quar- 
ters, exclusive  of  the  talons,  the  breadth  of  the  hind  foot 
being  seven  inches.  The  Grizzly  does  not  climb  trees,  like 
the  brown  and  the  black  bear.  He  is  ferocious  when  hungry, 
and  when  attacked,  and  the  female  will  die  hard  in  the 
defence  of  her  young.  Such  is  his  strength  that  he  can 


150  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

master  a  bison,  and  drag  him  to  his  retreat.  He  is  by  far 
the  most  dangerous  brute  of  North  America.  He  unhesi- 
tatingly pursues  both  men  and  animals ;  but,  though  he  feeds 
on  flesh,  he  is  capable  of  subsisting  upon  roots  and  fruits. 
He  is  very  tenacious  of  life,  and  will  pursue  his  enemy  after 
having  received  repeated  mortal  wounds.  He  is  found  in 
the  eastern  vicinity  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Though  the 
Grizzly  will  sometimes  move  off  on  the  approach  of  the 
traveller,  without  showing  fight,  he  will  at  other  times  attack 
him  with  great  ferocity.  A  man  named  Nathan  Rogers  who 
lived  on  a  ranch  in  the  mountains  about  a  mile  above 
West  Point,  near  the  North  Fork  of  the  Mokelumne,  once 
had  a  terrific  encounter  with  a  grizzly  bear.  He  was  out 
shooting  small  game  when  he  was  suddenly  confronted  by 
an  enormous  animal.  He  fired  his  only  shot  intp  the  breast 
of  the  bear  and  then  awaited  his  attack.  The  fight  was 
fast  and  furious,  and  though  in  the  end  the  grizzly  was  killed, 
the  man  only  survived  in  a  terrible  condition.  Conscious 
that  he  must  soon  have  help  or  perish,  he  summoned  all 
his  resolution  and  staggered  along,  and  managed  to  reach 
a  spring  in  sight  of  a  house,  when  his  endurance  gave  way, 
and  he  fell  in  a  dead  faint  by  the  water's  edge.  Fortunately 
he  was  soon  discovered  by  his  son,  a  lad  of  some  twelve 
years,  who  immediately  gave  the  alarm.  In  addition  to  his 
horrible  wounds,  the  shock  to  his  system  was  a  terrible 
one.  His  left  arm,  literally  mangled  and  torn  to  shreds, 
had  to  be  amputated  at  the  shoulder.  His  left  clavicle  and 
scapula  were  fractured,  and  the  three  lower  ribs  on  the  right 
side  broken.  The  flesh  and  muscles  on  his  back  were  so 
broken  and  abraded  that  the  vertebrae  were  actually  visible 
in  places;  while,  his  lower  limbs  were  literally  seamed  and 
furrowed  by  the  crooked  claws  of  the  bear's  hind  feet.  The 
left  side  of  the  bear  was  literally  torn  to  pieces,  there  being 
no  less  than  twenty-two  knife-wounds,  nearly  every  one  of 
which  reached  to  a  vital  point.  Some  idea  of  his  size 


THE  BROWN  BEAR.  151 

can  be  obtained  when  we  state  that  one  of  his  fore-paws  just 
covered  an  ordinary  dinner  plate. 

The  The   Brown  Bear  (Ursus  arctos)  was  the  bear 

Brown  Bear.  of  the  British  Isles,  so  long  as  the  British 
Isles  boasted  of.  a  bear.  This  was  the  baited  bear  of  the 
Royal  sports,  and  of  the  common  Bear  garden.  His  last 
appearance  in  Great-Britain  in  a  wild  state,  however,  dates 
back  more  than  800  years.  In  size,  shape,  and  habits  he 
much  resembles  the  black  bear  of  America.  Like  the  Malayan 
bear  he  is  very  fond  of  honey  as  the  following  amusing  story 
as  told  by  Mrs  Bowdich  will  show: 

"  A  countryman  in  Russia,  when  seeking  honey,  climbed  a 
very  high  tree,  the  trunk  of  which  was  hollow;  and  finding 
there  was  a  large  quantity  of  comb  in  it,  he  descended,  and 
stuck  fast ,  in  the  tenacious  substance  there  deposited.  He 
was  so  far  distant  from  home,  that  his  voice  could  not  be 
heard, ,  and  he  remained  two  days  in  this  situation,  relieving 
his  hunger  with  the  honey.  He  began  to  despair  of  ever 
being  extricated,  when  a  bear,  who,  like  himself,  came  for 
the  sake  of  the  honey,  slid  down  the  hollow,  hind-part  fore- 
most. The  man,  in  spite  of  his  alarm,  seized  hold  of  him; 
and  the  bear,  also  in  a  great  fright,  clambered  out  as  fast  as 
he  could,  dragging  the  man  up  with  him,  and  when  clear  of 
his  tail-bearer,  made  off  as  fast  as  possible." 

The  The  Malayan  Bear  is  about  four  feet  long  and 

Malayan  Bear,  two  feet  high.  It  has  a  long  tongue  which 
serves  it  well  in  extracting  honey  from  the  honey  combs  in 
the  hollow  trunks  of  trees.  Other  bears  are  the  Syrian  Bear 
of  Western  Asia,  the  Spectacled  Bear  of  South  America  and 
Peru  and  the  Sloth  Bear  of  India  and  the  Mahratta  country. 
SUB-ORDER  II.  We  come  now  to  the  second  sub-order  of  the 
The  Carnivora  or  flesh-eating  animals,  the  sub-order 

Pinnipedia.  which  includes  the  Seal  and  the  Walrus.  These 
in  the  form  of  their  skulls  and  in  other  ways  show  evident  rela- 
tionship to  the  bear,  and  so  appropriately  follow  him  in  classifica- 


152  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

tioi „  The  family  of  the  Otaridae,  includes  the  Eared  Seals, 
the  Northern  Sea  Lion  and  the  Northern  Sea  Bear.  The  Eared 
Seal  is  distinguished  from  the  true  seal,  as  his  name  implies 
by  the  possession  of  external  ears. 

Sea  Lions.  Mr.  Theodore  Lyman,  who  had  excellent  op- 
portunities of  observing  the  habits  of  the  Sea  Lions  on  the 
Seal  Rocks  of  San  Francisco,  furnished  Mr.  Allen  with  a 
graphic  account  of  their  movements,  from  which  we  quote  the 
following :  "  As  they  approach  to  effect  a  landing,  the  head 
only  appears  decidedly  above  water.  This  is  their  familiar 
element  and  they  swim  with  great  speed  and  ease,  quite 
unmindful  of  the  heavy  surf,  and  of  the  breakers  on  the 
ledges.  In  landing  they  are  apt  to  take  advantage  of  a 
heavy  wave  which  helps  them  to  get  the  forward  flippers  on 
terra  firma.  As  the  wave  retreats  they  begin  to  struggle  up 
the  steep  rocks,  twisting  the  body  from  side  to  side,  with  a 
clumsy  worm-like  motion,  and  thus  alternately  work  their 
flippers  into  positions,  where  they  may  force  the  body  a 
little  onward.  At  such  times  they  have  a  general  appearance 
of  sprawling  over  the  ground.  It  is  quite  astonishing  to  see 
how  they  will  go  up  surfaces  having  even  a  greater  inclina- 
tion than  45°  and  where  a  man  would  have  to  creep  with 
much  exertion.  In  their  onward  path  they  are  accompanied 
by  the  loud  barking  of  all  the  seals  they  pass;  and  these 
cries  may  be  heard  a  great  distance.  They  play  among 
themselves  continually  by  rolling  on  each  other  and  feigning 
to  bite ;  often  too,  they  will  amuse  themselves  by  pushing  off 
those  that  are  trying  to  land.  All  this  is  done  in  a  very  cum- 
brous manner,  and  is  accompanied  by  incessant  barking.  As 
they  issue  from  the  water  their  fur  is  dark  and  shining;  but  as 
it  dries,  it  becomes  of  a  yellowish  brown.  Then  they  appear 
to  feel  either  too  dry  or  too  hot,  for  they  move  to  the  nearest  point 
from  which  they  may  tumble  into  the  sea.  I  saw  many  roll  off 
a  ledge  at  least  twenty  feet  high,  and  fall  like  so  many  huge 
brown  sacks  into  the  water,  dashing  up  showers  of  spray." 


THE  SEA  BEAR.  153 

Sea  Bears.  The  Northern  Sea  Bear  is  otherwise  known 
as  the  Northern  Fur  Seal.  Captain  Charles  Bryant  gives  a 
very  interesting  account  of  these  singular  animals,  in  which 
he  describes  them  as  approaching  and  taking  possession  of 
the  shores  of  St.  Paul's  Island  near  the  coast  of  Alaska,  about 
the  middle,  or  towards  the  end  of  April,  when  the  snow  has 
melted  and  the  drift  ice  from  the  north  has  all  passed.  A 
few  old  male  seals  first  make  their  appearance  and  reconnoitre 
for  two  or  three  days,  afterwards  climbing  the  slopes  and 
taking  possession  of  the  rookeries,  each  male  reserving  about  a 
square  rod  for  himself  and  his  wives.  The  scouts  then 
return  and  younger  male  seals  soon  begin  to  arrive  in  small 
detachments,  but  are  prevented  from  landing  by  their  elders 
and  are  so  forced  to  remain  in  the  water  or  go  to  the  upland 
above.  By  the  middle  of  June  all  the  males  have  arrived, 
and  having  adjusted  their  differences  and  divided  the  rook- 
eries between  them,  await  the  arrival  of  the  females.  "  These 
appear  in  small  numbers  at  first  but  increase  as  the  season 
advances,  till  the  middle  of  July ;  when  the  rookeries  are  all 
full,  the  females  often  overlapping  each  other.  The  bachelor 
seals  swim  all  day  along  the  shore,  escorting  and  driving  the 
females  on  to  the  rocks  as  fast  as  they  arrive.  As  soon  as 
a  female  reaches  the  shore,  the  nearest  male  goes  down  to 
meet  her,  making  meanwhile  a  noise  like  the  clucking  of  a 
hen  to  her  chickens.  He  bows  to  her,  and  coaxes  her 
until  he  gets  between  her  and  the  water  so  that  she  cannot 
escape  him.  Then  his  manner  changes,  and  with  a  harsh 
growl  he  drives  her  to  a  place  in  his  harem.  This  continues 
until  the  lower  row  of  harems  is  nearly  full.  Then  the  males 
higher  up  select  the  time  when  their  more  fortunate  neigh- 
bours are  off  their  guard  to  steal  their  wives.  This  they  do 
by  taking  them  in  their  mouths  and  lifting  them  over  the 
heads  of  the  other  females,  and  carefully  placing  them  in 
their  own  harem  carrying  them  as  carefully  as  cats  do  their 
kittens.  Those  still  higher  up  pursue  the  same  method  until 


154  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

the  whole  space  is  occupied.  Frequently  a  struggle  ensues 
between  two  males  for  the  possession  of  the  same  female, 
and  both  seizing  her  at  once,  pull  her  in  two,  or  terribly 
lacerate  her  with  their  teeth.  When  the  space  is  all  filled, 
the  old  male  walks  around  complacently  reviewing  his  family, 
scolding  those  who  crowd  or  disturb  the  others,  and  fiercely 
driving  off  all  intruders.  This  surveillance  always  keeps  him 
actively  occupied."  After  the  birth  of  their  young  which 
takes  place  towards  the  end  of  July,  the  old  males  who  have 
been  four  months  without  food,  go  to  some  distance  from 
the  shore  to  feed,  teaching  the  young  to  swim  on  their 
return.  "  By  the  last  of  October  the  seals  begin  to  leave  the 
islands  in  small  companies.  The  males  going  last  and  by 
themselves." 

The  Walrus.  The  Walrus  (Trichechus  rosmarus)  is  a  large  and 
unwieldy  creature.  It  bears  a  stronger  resemblance  to  the 
seal  than  to  any  other  quadruped,  but  it  is  distinguished  by 
the  proportions  of  its  body  and  its  elephant-like  tusks.  Vast 
herds  formerly  frequented  the  shores  of  the  islands  scattered 
between  America  and  Asia,  the  coasts  of  Davis's  Straits  and 
those  of  Hudson's  Bay.  They  have  been  found  as  far  south 
as  the  Magdalen  Islands  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Now 
they  are  not  met  with  in  great  numbers,  except  on  the  shores 
of  Spitzbergen  and  the  remotest  northern  borders  of  America. 
They  attain  to  a  very  large  size.  The  head  is  oval,  short, 
small,  and  flat  in  front,  having  the  eyes  set  in  deep  sockets 
so  as  to  be  moved  forwards,  or  retracted  at  pleasure.  On 
land  the  Walrus  is  a  slow  and  clumsy  animal,  but  in  the 
water  its  motions  are  sufficiently  quick  and  easy.  When 
attacked,  the  Walrus  is  both  fierce  and  formidable,  and  if  in 
company  with  its  young,  becomes  very  furious,  attempting  to 
destroy  its  enemies  by  rising  and  hooking  its  tusks  over 
the  sides  of  the  boat,  in  order  to  sink  it. 

Captain  Cook  thus   describes   a  herd  of  walruses  he  met 
with   off  the  north  coast  of  America.     He  says:     "They  lie 


THE   SEAL.  155 

in  herds  of  many  hundreds  upon  the  ice,  huddling  over  one 
another,  like  swine;  and  roar  or  bray  so  very  loud,  that  in 
the  night,  or  in  foggy  weather,  they  gave  us  notice  of  the 
ice,  before  we  could  see  it.  We  never  found  the  whole  herd 
asleep,  some  being  always  upon  the  watch.  These,  on  the 
approach  of  the  boat,  would  awake  those  next  to  them ;  and 
the  alarm  being  thus  gradually  communicated,  the  whole  herd 
would  be  awake  presently.  But  they  were  seldom  in  a  hurry 
to  get  away,  till  after  they  had  been  once  fired  at.  They 
then  would  tumble  over  one  another  into  the  sea,  in  the 
utmost  confusion;  and,  if  we  did  not,  at  the  first  discharge, 
kill  those  we  fired  at,  we  generally  lost  them,  though  mortally 
wounded.  They  did  not  appear  to  us  to  be  that  dangerous 
animal  which  some  authors  have  described,  not  even  when 
attacked.  They  are  more  so  in  appearance  than  reality. 
Vast  numbers  of  them  would  follow,  and  come  close  up  to 
the  oars;  but  the  flash  of  the  musket  in  the  pan,  or  even  the 
bare  pointing  of  one  at  them,  would  send  them  down  in  an 
instant.  The  female  will  defend  her  young  to  the  very  last, 
at  the  expense  of  her  own  life,  whether  in  the  water  or  upon 
the  ice.  Noi  will  the  young  one  quit  the  dam,  though  she 
be  dead;  so  that,  if  one  is  killed,  the  other  is  certain  prey. 
The  dam,  when  in  the  water,  holds  the  young  one  between 
her  fore  arms." 

The  Common  The  True  Seals  are  divided  by  Dr.  Gray  into 
Sea).  thirteen  genera  with  eighteen  species,  of  which 
the  Common  Seal,  the  Ringed  Seal,  the  Harp  Seal,  the  Grey 
Seal,  the  Sea  Leopard,  the  Sea  Elephant,  and  the  Bladder- 
nose  Hooded  Seal  are  the  best  known.  The  common  seal 
has  a  round  head  which  in  front  bears  some  resemblance  to 
that  of  the  otter.  Its  average  length  is  about  five  feet  and 
its  general  colour  of  a  yellowish  gray,  varied  or  spotted  with 
brown  or  blackish  in  different  degrees,  according  to  the  age 
of  the  animal.  The  Common  Seal  frequents  the  sea-coasts 
perhaps  throughout  the  world,  but  is  most  numerous  in  high 


156  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

northern  latitudes,  and  furnishes  the  inhabitants  of  those  frigid 
regions  with  nearly  all  their  necessaries  and  luxuries.  Enor- 
mous numbers  are  caught  annually  for  the  sake  of  their  skins 
and  oil.  The  Harp  Seal  frequents  the  coast  of  Newfoundland 
and  is  so  named  from  the  harp-shaped  band  which  marks  the 
backs  of  the  males.  The  Sea  Elephant  is  the  largest  of  the 
seals.  It  is  said  to  attain  to  the  length  of  twenty-five  to 
thirty  feet,  and  a  circumference  of  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet. 
It  belongs  to  the  Antarctic  sea. 

"Seals  when  taken  young,"  says  Captain  Brown,  "are 
capable  of  being  completely  domesticated,  will  answer  to 
their  name,  and  follow  their  master  from  place  to  place.  In 
January,  1819,  a  gentleman,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Burnt- 
island,  county  of  Fife,  in  Scotland,  completely  succeeded  in 
taming  a  seal.  Its  singularities  attracted  the  curiosity  of 
strangers  daily.  It  appeared  to  possess  all  the  sagacity  of  a 
dog,  lived  in  its  master's  house,  and  ate  from  his  hand.  In 
his  fishing  excursions,  this  gentleman  generally  took  it  with 
him,  when  it  afforded  no  small  entertainment.  If  thrown  into 
the  water,  it  would  follow  for  miles  the  track  of  the  boat ; 
and  although  thrust  back  by  the  oars,  it  never  relinquished 
its  purpose.  Indeed,  it  struggled  so  hard  to  regain  its  seat, 
that  one  would  imagine  its  fondness  for  its  master  had  entirely 
overcome  the  natural  predilection  for  its  native  element." 
The  Seal's  Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  external  ears 
Docility,  the  common  seal  has  a  remarkable  sense  of  hear- 
ing and  a  keen  taste  for  sweet  sounds.  Seals  have  been 
known  to  follow  a  vessel,  for  miles,  upon  the  deck  of  which 
a  violin  or  a  flute  has  been  played.  To  quote  Sir  Walter 
Scott: 

"Rude  Heiskar's  seals,  through  surges  dark, 
Will  long  pursue  the  minstrel's  bark." 

They  are  also  easily  tamed,  when  they  are  found  to  be 
exceedingly  affectionate  to  those  who  treat  them  kindly.  Some 
years  ago  a  farmer,  residing  on  the  east  coast  of  Scotland, 


THE  SEAL.  157 

close  to  the  sea-shore,  obtained  a  young  seal  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  his  children,  who  soon  became  exceedingly  fond 
of  it.  Some  time  after,  the  farmer,  having  had  a  bad  year 
for  his  crops,  was  told  by  an  old  woman  in  the  village  that 
he  would  never  prosper  as  long  as  he  kept  that  seal  on  his 
ground.  The  foolish  man  giving  heed  to  the  superstition  sent 
away  the  seal  in  a  boat  some  distance  from  land.  Towards 
evening,  as  the  children  were  sitting  on  the  sea-shore,  what 
was  their  joy  on  beholding  their  seal  rising  out  of  the  water, 
and  making  its  way  straight  back  to  them  again.  For  some 
months  they  were  allowed  to  retain  their  pet;  but  as  the 
farmer's  prospects  did  not  brighten,  he  again  determined  to 
get  rid  of  it,  and  for  that  purpose,  hearing  of  a  ship  that 
was  soon  to  sail  for  the  Baltic,  took  the  little  seal,  and  gave 
it  in  charge  to  some  sailors,  begging  them  to  keep  it  in  the 
hold  of  the  ship  till  they  arrived  at  their  destination,  and 
then  to  throw  it  into  the  sea.  This  was  accordingly  done, 
but  the  faithful  seal  was  not  to  be  daunted;  ere  long,  it 
reappeared,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  children,  who  begged 
their  father  never  to  send  it  away  again.  The  fanner  gave 
a  doubtful  assent,  for  a  suspicion  still  lurked  in  his  mind, 
owing  to  the  superstitious  words  of  the  old  woman,  that  the 
presence  of  the  seal  had  an  evil  effect  upon  his  crops ;  and 
with  these  ideas  preying  upon  his  mind,  the  farmer  conceived 
the  cruel  thought  of  putting  out  the  seal's  eyes  with  a  view 
of  preventing  it  from  finding  its  way  back,  and  again  sending 
it  away  to  sea.  Unknown  to  his  children,  he  carried  this 
barbarous  plan  into  execution ;  and  they  only  discovered  the 
loss  of  their  favourite  too  late  to  aid  in  its  recall,  as  the  ship 
in  which  it  had  been  placed  had  already  sailed  for  Norway. 
Some  days  after  the  departure  of  the  vessel,  a  fearful  storm 
arose.  The  farmer  and  his  family  were  glad  enough  to  close 
up  their  shutters,  and  shut  out  as  much  as  possible  the 
wailings  of  the  wind,  as  it  swept  in  furious  gusts  round  the 
house.  They  had  scarcely  retired  to  rest,  when  a  faint  and 


158  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

plaintive  ny  struck  upon  their  ears — and  repeated  again  it 
seemed  to  be— during  the  momentary  lulls  of  the  storm.  The 
farmer  continued  to  listen,  but  hearing  nothing  more,  he 
descended  to  the  front  door  and  opened  it;  a  dark  object 
lay  before  him,  on  the  very  threshold,  and  stooping  down 
to  touch  it,  what  was  his  astonishment  to  behold  the  poor 
blind,  devoted  little  seal,  apparently  dead.  The  farmer  was 
greatly  touched  ;  he  took  up  the  little  body  gently  and  carried 
it  into  the  kitchen,  and  used  every  effort  to  restore  it  to 
life  but  in  vain. 
ORDER  V  ^is  order  is  divided  into  two  sub-orders,  the 

Whales  and  one  characterised  by  the  possession  of  teeth,  and 
Dolphins,    the  other  being  toothless. 

The  Right  The  Right  Whale  when  fully  grown,  attains  to 
"Whale,  from  fifty  to  sixty-five  feet  in  length,  and  to  from 
thirty  to  forty  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  thickest  behind  the 
fins.  When  the  mouth  is  open,  it  presents  a  cavity  as  large  as  a 
room,  and  capable  of  containing  a  boat  full  of  men.  Its 
tongue  is  said  to  be  as  large  as  a  stout  feather-bed.  The 
tail  is  a  powerful  instrument  of  motion  and  defence:  it  is 
only  five  or  six  feet  long,  but  its  motions  are  rapid,  and  its 
strength  immense.  The  eyes  are  situated  in  the  sides  of  the 
head;  they  are  very  small,  being  little  larger  than  those  of 
an  ox.  The  whale  has  no  external  ear,  but  there  is  a  small 
orifice  under  the  skin  for  the  admission  of  sound.  On  the 
most  elevated  part  of  the  head  are  two  blow  holes  six  or 
eight  inches  in  length.  The  mouth,  instead  of  teeth,  has 
two  rows  of  whalebone,  each  of  which  contains  more  than 
three  hundred  laminae,  the  longest  of  which  are  about  ten 
or  eleven  feet.  A  large  whale  sometimes  contains  a  ton  and 
a  half  of  whalebone.  The  colour  of  the  old  whale  is  gray 
and  white,  that  of  the  young  ones  a  sort  of  bluish  black. 
Immediately  beneath  the  skin  lies  the  blubber,  or  fat;  its 
thickness  round  the  body  is  eight  or  ten  or  twenty  inches, 
varying  in  different  parts:  the  lips  are  composed  almost 


THE  WHALE.  159 

entirely  of  blubber.  A  large  whale  yields  about  twenty  tons 
of  oil,  which  is  expressed  from  the  blubber.  It  is  for  this 
and  the  whalebone  that  this  animal  is  deemed  so  valuable, 
and  for  which  it  is  so  much  sought  by  whalefishers.  The 
sense  of  seeing  in  the  whale  is  very  acute.  Under  the 
surface  of  the  water  they  discover  one  another  at  an  amazing 
distance.  They  have  no  voice,  but  in  breathing  or  blowing 
they  make  a  loud  noise. 

The  usual  rate  at  which  whales  swim  seldom  exceeds  four 
miles  an  hour,  but  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time  they  are 
capable  of  darting  through  the  water  with  amazing  velocity, 
and  of  ascending  with  such  rapidity  as  to  leap  above  the 
surface.  This  feat  they  perform  as  an  amusement,  apparently 
to  the  high  admiration  of  distant  spectators.  Sometimes  they 
throw  themselves  in  a  perpendicular  posture,  with  the  head 
downwards,  and  rearing  their  tails  on  high,  beat  the  water 
with  awful  violence.  Sometimes  they  shake  their  tails  in  the 
air,  which,  cracking  like  a  whip,  resound  to  the  distance  of 
two  or  three  miles.  The  flesh  of  the  whale,  though  it  would 
be  rejected  by  the  dainty  palates  of  refined  nations,  is  eaten 
with  much  relish  by  the  Eskimo,  and  the  inhabitants 
along  the  coasts  of  Hudson's  Bay  and  Davis's  Straits,  who 
esteem  it  a  staple  article  of  subsistence. 

Other  whales  of  this  sub-order  are  the  common  Fin  Whale, 
which  is  said  to  reach  eighty  feet  in  length,  the  lesser  Fin 
Whale  and  the  Humpback  Whale.  In  these,  the  yield  of 
whalebone  and  oil  is  so  small  that  they  are  not  thought 
worth  the  trouble  of  catching. 

The  Sperm  The  Sperm  Whale  rarely  exceeds  sixty  feet  in 
Whale,  length  and  lives  in  warm  regions,  such  as  the 
Indian  Ocean;  rarely,  if  ever,  visiting  Arctic  or  European  seas. 
Its  yield  of  oil  is  said  to  be  less  than  that  of  the  Greenland 
whale  but  it  is  of  a  finer  quality.  Ambergris  is  also  produced 
from  the  body  of  the  sperm  whale. 

The  Dolphin.     This  is  a   large  creature,  so  like  the  porpoise 


160  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

that  he  has  been  often  confounded  with  it.  He  is,  however, 
much  larger,  sometimes  measuring  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
feet  in  length.  The  body  is  roundish,  growing  gradually  less 
towards  the  tail;  the  nose  is  long  and  pointed,  the  skin 
smooth,  the  back  black  or  dusky  blue,  becoming  white  towards 
the  belly.  He  is  entirely  destitute  of  gills,  or  any  similar 
aperture,  but  respires  and  also  spouts  water  through  a  pipe 
of  semi-circular  form  placed  on  the  upper  part  of  the  head. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  dolphins,  including  the  Long- 
nosed  Dolphins  of  the  rivers  of  Asia  and  South  America  and 
the  Classical  Dolphin  of  the  Mediterranean  (Delphi-tins  delphis) 
The  former  are  separately  classified,  and  the  family  of  the 
latter  includes  the  White  Whale,  the  Narwhal,  the  Common 
Porpoise  and  the  Grampus.  The  dolphin  is  gregarious  in  its 
habits,  herding  and  travelling  in  large  shoals.  It  may  some- 
times be  seen  sporting  in  the  bays  and  rivers  of  New  York 
and  is  always  a  pretty  sight. 

The  White  The  White  Whale  (Beluga  catodon)  is  the  whale 
Whale  which  Dr.  R.  Brown  calls  the  whale  of  Green- 
land. It  is  the  whale  which  the  Greenlander  and  the  Eskimo 
find  so  valuable  for  its  oil  and  flesh,  the  latter  of  which  they 
dry  for  winter  use.  They  are  sometimes  called  sea  pigs,  from 
a  fancied  resemblance  they  bear  to  the  pig  when  floun- 
dering in  the  sea,  and  sometimes  sea  canaries,  on  account 
of  their  peculiar  whistle,  which  resembles  that  of  a  bird. 

The  Narwhal  The  narwhal  (Monodon  monoceros)  is  found 
frequently  in  company  with  the  white  whale,  and  inhabits 
much  the  same  geographical  area.  It  is  distinguished  by  the 
possession  of  a  tusk,  the  aim  and  purpose  of  which  has  been 
much  debated.  "It  has  been  supposed  to  use  it,"  says  Dr. 
Brown,  "to  stir  up  its  food  from  the  bottom,  but  in  such  a 
case  the  female  would  be  sadly  at  a  loss.  Fabricius  thought 
that  it  was  to  keep  the  holes  open  in  the  ice  during  the 
winter;  and  the  following  occurrence  seems  to  support  this 
view.  In  April,  1860,  a  Greenlander  was  travelling  along  the 


THE  PORPOISE.  l6l 

ice  in  the  vicinity  of  Christianshaab,  and  discovered  one  of 
those  open  spaces  in  the  ice,  which,  even  in  the  most  severe 
winters,  remain  open.  In  this  hole  hundreds  of  narwhals 
and  white  whales  were  protruding  their  heads  to  breathe, 
no  other  place  presenting  itself  for  miles  around.  It  was 
described  to  me  as  an  Arctic  'Black  Hole  of  Calcutta'  in 
the  eagerness  of  the  animals  to  keep  at  the  place."  "  Neither 
the  narwhal  nor  the  white  whale,"  he  continues,  are  timid 
animals,  but  will  approach  close  to,  and  gambol  for  hours  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  ship."  The  oil  is  highly  es- 
teemed, and  the  flesh  is  very  palatable.  The  skin  of  the 
narwhal  boiled  to  a  jelly  is  looked  upon,  and  justly  so,  as 
one  of  the  prime  dainties  of  a  Greenlander. 
The  Common  The  Porpoise  resembles  the  dolphin  in  general 

Porpoise,  appearance.  Its  length,  from  the  tip  of  the  snout 
to  the  end  of  the  tail,  is  from  five  to  eight  feet;  and  the 
width  about  two  feet  and  a  half.  The  figure  of  the  whole 
body  is  conical;  the  colour  of  the  back  is  deep  blue,  inclining 
to  shining  black;  the  sides  are  gray,  and  the  belly  white. 
When  the  flesh  is  cut  up,  it  looks  very  much  like  pork;  but, 
although  it  was  once  considered  a  sumptuous  article  of  food, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  occasionally  introduced  at  the  tables 
of  the  old  English  nobility,  it  certainly  has  a  disagreeable 
flavour.  Their  motion  in  the  water  is  a  kind  of  circular 
leap;  they  dive  deep,  but  soon  again  rise  up  in  order 
to  breathe.  They  are  seen  in  nearly  all  seas,  where  they 
sport  with  great  activity,  chiefly  on  the  approach  of  a 
squall. 

The  The  Grampus   (Orca  Gladiator)  is  the  natural 

Grampus,  enemy  of  the  whale  and  the  seal,  who  hold 
him  in  mortal  terror.  His  swallow  is  so  great  that  he  can 
take  a  porpoise  or  a  seal  whole,  and  has  been  known  to 
swallow  several  in  succession.  The  whale  escapes  him  by  getting 
among  the  ice,  whither  it  is  said  the  grampus  will  not  fol- 
low him. 

II 


1  62  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 


ORDER  VI  ^ne  Sea  ^ow  **  an  acluatic  vegetarian  who 
The  Sea  lives  on  the  coast.  Of  the  three  genera  which 
Cow.  constitute  the  family  Manatidcs  one  is  now  said 
to  be  extinct.  The  genus  Manatus  contains  two  species,  one 
belonging  to  South  America  and  the  other  to  the  West  Coast 
of  Africa.  The  Dugong  (Halicore  Dugong)  which  attains  to 
a  length  of  nine  or  ten  feet  at  maturity  produces  oil  having 
similar  medicinal  properties  to  that  obtained  from  the  Cod's 
liver.  It  inhabits  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Red  Sea,  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Malay  Islands  and  the  North  and  East 
coasts  of  Australia. 

ORDER  VII  The  order  of  hoofed  animals  includes  a 
Hoofed  number  of  well  known  species,  of  which  the 
Animals.  Horse,  the  Ass,  the  Ox  and  the  Sheep  among 
the  tame,  and  the  Rhinoceros,  the  Hippopotamus,  the  Boar  and 
the  Bison  among  the  wild  are  familiar  examples.  The  order 
is  divided  into  two  sub-orders  and  these  into  numerous 
families.  The  sub-orders  are,  I,  The  Perissodactyla,  which 
includes  three  families  of  animals  characterised  by  an  odd 
number  of  toes  in  their  hind  feet,  the  horse  having  one,  and 
the  Rhinoceros  three.  II,  The  Artiodactyla  which  includes 
seven  families  of  animals  all  having  an  even  number  of 
toes. 

The  Horse.  The  horse  stands  first  among  the  hoofed  ani- 
mals, as  the  friend  and  servant  of  man.  He  has  a  history 
which  is  full  of  interest  but  which  it  is  quite  impossible  to 
give  within  the  limits  of  our  present  opportunity.  He  is 
mentioned  in  both  classical  and  Biblical  history  at  an  early 
period,  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  he  flourished  in  pre- 
historic times.  He  was  used  by  the  Greeks  in  their  public 
games,  the  chariot  race  being  one  of  their  most  popular  forms 
of  entertainment;  he  was  also  employed  by  them  for  the 
purposes  of  war,  of  which  the  writings  of  Homer  and  other 
classical  authors  give  abundant  proof.  First  used  apparently 
to  draw  the  chariot  only,  the  adaptation  of  the  means  to  the 


THE  HORSE.  163 

end  soon  suggested  to  man  the  propriety  of  mounting  his 
back,  and  from  the  throne  he  thus  acquired  man  has  since 
conquered  the  whole  world.  Man's  first  appearance  on  horse- 
back doubtless  suggested  the  fable  of  the  Centaur;  those 
unaccustomed  to  the  sight  imagining  that  they  beheld  a  monster, 
half  man  and  half  horse,  as  it  is  said  the  aborigines  of 
America  did  when  they  first  saw  Spanish  equestrians.  The 
Egyptians  are  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  cultivate  the 
horse,  and  the  Persians  the  first  to  use  him  in  battle. 

Arabian  The  beauty,  strength  and  speed  of  the  Arabian 
Horses,  horse  are  well  known,  and  the  affection  which 
subsists  between  him  and  his  master  is  the  basis  of  many 
a  pathetic  story.  These  horses  are  generally  of  a  brown  colour; 
the  mane  and  tail  being  short,  and  the  hair  black  and 
tufted.  The  Arabs  for  the  most  part  use  the  mares  in  their 
ordinary  excursions,  as  they  are  less  vicious  than  the  males, 
and  are  more  capable  of  sustaining  abstinence  and  fatigue. 

The  Arab  often  shares  his  tent  with  his  mare,  the  husband, 
the  wife,  the  child,  the  mare,  and  the  foal,  lying  together 
indiscriminately;  and  the  youngest  branches  of  the  family 
embracing  the  neck,  or  reposing  on  the  body,  of  the  mare, 
without  any  idea  of  fear  or  danger. 

St.  Pierre  in  his  "  Studies  of  Nature  "  tells  a  pretty  story  of 
the  Arab's  affection  for  his  horse:  "The  whole  stock  of  a 
poor  Arabian  of  the  desert  consisted  of  a  beautiful  mare; 
this  the  French  consul  at  Said  offered  to  purchase,  with  an 
intention  to  send  her  to  Louis  XIV.  The  Arab,  pressed 
by  want,  hesitated  a  long  time,  but  at  length  consented,  on 
condition  of  receiving  a  very  considerable  sum  of  money, 
which  he  named.  The  consul  wrote  to  France  for  permission 
to  close  the  bargain;  and,  having  obtained  it,  sent  the 
information  to  the  Arab.  The  man,  so  indigent  as  to  possess 
only  a  miserable  covering  for  his  body,  arrived  with  his 
magnificent  courser;  he  dismounted,  and  first  looking  at  the 
gold,  then  steadfastly  at  his  mare,  heaved  a  sigh.  'To 


164  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

whom  is  it,'  exclaimed  he,  'that  I  am  going  to  yield  thee 
up?  To  Europeans!  who  will  tie  thee  close,  who  will  beat 
thee,  who  will  render  thee  miserable!  Return  with  me,  my 
beauty,  my  jewel!  and  rejoice  the  hearts  of  my  children.' 
As  he  pronounced  the  last  words,  he  sprang  upon  her  back, 
and  was  out  of  sight  almost  in  a  moment."  This  story 
forms  the  subject  of  the  well  known  ballad  by  the  Hon. 
Mrs.  Norton,  entitled  "The  Arab's  farewell  to  his  steed." 

Clarke  thus  describes  the  way  in  which  the  Arab  will  address 
a  horse: — "Ibrahim  went  frequently  to  Rama  to  inquire 
news  of  the  mare  whom  he  dearly  loved;  he  would  embrace 
her,  wipe  her  eyes  with  his  handkerchief,  would  rub  her 
with  his  shirt  sleeves,  would  give  her  a  thousand  benedictions 
during  whole  hours  that  he  would  remain  talking  to  her. 
'My  eyes!  my  soul!  my  heart!'  he  would  say,  'must  I  be 
so  unfortunate  as  to  have  thee  sold  to  so  many  masters,  and 
not  keep  thee  myself?  I  am  poor,  my  antelope !  I  brought 
thee  up  in  my  dwelling  as  a  child;  I  did  never  beat  nor 

chide  thee "  Arabs  have  been  known  to  refuse  enormous 

sums  for  horses,  though  actually  themselves  in  a  condition  of 
extreme  want.  That  the  horse  can  reciprocate  the  kindness 
shown  to  him  is  proved  by  many  a  story  of  his  fidelity.  Chateau- 
briand says,  "When  I  was  at  Jerusalem  the  feats  of  one  of 
these  steeds  made  a  great  noise.  The  Bedouin  to  whom 
the  animal,  a  mare,  belonged,  being  pursued  by  the  govern- 
or's guards,  rushed  with  her  from  the  top  of  the  hills  that 
overlooked  Jericho.  The  mare  scoured  at  full  gallop  down 
an  almost  perpendicular  declivity  without  stumbling,  and  left 
the  soldiers  lost  in  admiration  and  astonishment.  The  poor 
creature,  however,  dropped  down  dead  on  entering  Jericho, 
and  the  Bedouin,  who  would  not  quit  her,  was  taken, 
weeping  over  the  body  of  his  faithful  companion." 

More  romantic  is  the  story  told  by  M.  de  Lamartine,  thus 
quoted  by  Mrs.  Bowdich.  "  An  Arab  chief  and  the  tribe  to 
which  he  belonged  attacked  a  caravan  in  the  night,  and  were 


THE  ARABIAN  HORSE.  165 

returning  with  their  plunder,  when  some  horsemen  belonging 
to  the  Pasha  of  Acre  surrounded  them,  killed  several,  and 
bound  the  rest  with  cords.  Among  the  latter  was  the  chief 
Abou  el  Marek,  who  was  carried  to  Acre,  and,  bound  hand 
and  foot,  laid  at  the  entrance  of  their  tent  during  the  night. 
Kept  awake  by  the  pain  of  his  wounds  he  heard  his  horse, 
who  was  picketed  at  a  distance  from  him,  neigh.  Wishing 
to  caress  him,  perhaps  for  the  last  time,  he  dragged  himself 
up  to  him,  and  said,  '  Poor  friend !  what  will  you  do  among 
the  Turks?  You  will  be  shut  up  under  the  roof  of  a  khan, 
with  the  horses  of  a  Pasha  or  an  Aga.  No  longer  will  the 
women  and  children  of  the  tent  bring  you  barley,  camel's 
milk,  or  dhourra,  in  the  hollow  of  their  hands;  no  longer 
will  you  gallop  free  as  the  wind  in  the  desert;  no  longer  will 
you  cleave  the  waters  with  your  breast,  and  lave  your  sides, 
as  pure  as  the  foam  from  your  lips.  If  I  am  to  be  a  slave, 
at  least  you  may  go  free.  Return  to  our  tent,  tell  my  wife 
that  Abon  el  Marek  will  return  no  more;  but  put  your  head 
still  into  the  folds  of  the  tent,  and  lick  the  hands  of  my 
beloved  children.'  With  these  words,  as  his  hands  were 
tied,  the  chief  with  his  teeth  undid  the  fetters  which  held 
the  courser  bound,  and  set  him  at  liberty;  but  the  noble 
animal,  on  recovering  his  freedom,  instead  of  galloping  away 
to  the  desert,  bent  his  head  over  his  master,  and  seeing  him 
in  fetters  and  on  the  ground,  took  his  clothes  gently  between 
his  teeth,  lifted  him  up,  and  set  off  at  full  speed  towards 
home.  Without  resting  he  made  straight  for  the  distant 
but  well-known  tent  in  the  mountains  of  Arabia.  He  arrived 
there  in  safety,  laid  his  master  down  at  the  feet  of  his  wife 
and  children,  and  immediately  dropped  down  dead  with 
fatigue.  The  whole  tribe  mourned  him,  the  poets  celebrated 
his  fidelity,  and  his  name  is  still  constantly  in  the  mouths 
of  the  Arabs  of  Jericho." 

For  the  sake  of  the  beautiful  moral  it  contains  the  follow- 
ing story  is  well  worth  adding.     In  the  tribe  of  Negde  there 


1 66  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

was  a  mare  of  great  reputation  for  beauty  and  swiftness, 
which  a  member  of  another  tribe  named  Daber  desired  to 
possess.  Having  failed  to  obtain  her  by  offering  all  he  was 
worth,  he  sought  to  effect  his  object  by  stratagem.  Disguised 
as  a  lame  beggar  he  waited  by  a  roadside,  knowing  that 
Nabee,  the  owner  of  the  horse,  would  shortly  pass  that  way. 
As  soon  as  Nabee  appeared,  Daber  cried  out  to  him,  begging 
assistance  and  pretending  to  be  too  weak  to  rise.  Nabee 
thereupon  dismounted  from  the  mare,  and  helped  the  beggar 
to  mount  her.  The  moment  he  was  mounted  Daber  declared 
himself  and  made  off.  Nabee  called  to  him  to  stop,  and  on 
his  turning. round  said  to  him,  "Thou  hast  my  mare,  since 
it  pleased  God  I  wish  you  success  but  I  conjure  thee  tell  no 
one  how  thou  hast  come  by  her."  "Why  not?"  said  Daber. 
"  Lest  others  should  refrain  from  charity  because  I  have  been 
duped,"  said  Nabee,  whereupon  Daber  dismounted  and 
returned  the  mare. 

The  Domestic  The  Horse  has  only  to  be  known  to  be  loved, 
Horse.  an(j  has  oniy  to  be  loved  to  become  the  most 
tractable,  patient,  and  useful  of  animals.  "  In  the  domestic 
horse,"  says  Colonel  Smith,  "we  behold  an  animal  equally 
strong  and  beautiful,  endowed  with  great  docility  and  no  less 
fire;  with  size  and  endurance  joined  to  sobriety,  speed,  and 
patience ;  clean,  companionable,  emulous,  even  generous ;  for- 
bearing, yet  impetuous;  with  faculties  susceptible  of  very 
considerable  education,  and  perceptions  which  catch  the 
spirit  of  man's  intentions,  lending  his  powers  with  the  utmost 
readiness,  and  restraining  them  with  as  ready  a  compliance : 
saddled  or  in  harness,  labouring  willingly,  enjoying  the  sports 
of  the  field  and  exulting  in  the  tumult  of  the  battle;  used 
by  mankind  in  the  most  laudable  and  necessary  operations, 
and  often  the  unconscious  instrument  of  the  most  sanguinary 
passions;  applauded,  cherished,  then  neglected,  and  ultimately 
abandoned  to  the  authority  of  bipeds  who  often  show  little 
superiority  of  reason  and  much  less  of -temper."  "One  who, 


THE  DOMESTIC  HORSE.  167 

like  ourselves,"  continues  Colonel  Smith,  "has  repeatedly 
owed  life  to  the  exertions  of  his  horse,  in  meeting  a  hostile 
shock,  in  swimming  across  streams,  and  in  passing  on  the 
edge  of  elevated  precipices,  will  feel  with  us,  when  con- 
templating the  qualities  of  this  most  valuable  animal,  emo- 
tions of  gratitude  and  affection  which  others  may  not  so 
readily  appreciate." 

The  struc-  "  ^^e  ^eaut7  °f  tne  f°rm  °^ tne  horse  has  often 
ture  of  a  been  commented  upon,  his  structure  is  thus  admir- 
Horse.  a^jv  described  by  a  writer  in  "  Cassell's  Magazine 
of  Art" :  "  His  nature  is  eminently  courageous,  without  ferocity, 
generous,  docile,  intelligent,  and,  if  allowed  to  be  so,  almost 
as  affectionate  as  the  dog.  In  his  structure,  the  ruling  charac- 
teristic may  be  said  in  one  word  to  consist  in  obliquity — all 
the  leading  bones  in  his  frame  are  set  obliquely,  or  nearly 
so,  and  not  at  right  angles.  His  head  is  set  on  with  a  subtle 
curve  of  the  last  few  vertebrae  of  the  neck,  which  at  the 
shoulders,  take  another  subtle  curve  before  they  become  the 
dorsal  vertebrae,  or  backbone;  which  end,  in  their  turn,  with 
another  curve,  forming  the  tail.  His  shoulders  slope  back 
more  than  those  of  other  quadrupeds,  the  scapula,  or  shoul- 
der-blade, being  oblique  to  the  humerus,  which,  in  its  turn, 
is  oblique  to  the  radius,  or  upper  part  of  the  fore-leg.  So, 
again,  in  the  hind-quarters,  the  haunch  is  set  obliquely  to  the 
true  thigh,  the  thigh,  at  the  stifle  joint,  to  the  upper  bone 
of  the  hind-leg,  which  at  the  hock  makes  another  angle. 
The  fore  and  hind  quarters  form  so  large  a  portion  of  the 
entire  length  that  a  horse,  though  a  lengthy  animal  from  the 
front  of  the  chest  to  the  back  of  the  haunch,  is,  compara- 
tively, very  short  in  the  actual  back  or  'saddle-place.'  Then 
his  hocks  are  much  bent,  and  his  pastern  joints  are  rather 
long,  and  again  are  set  at  an  angle,  succeeded  by  a  slightly 
different  angle  in  the  firm  but  expanding  hoof,  thus  com- 
pleting the  beautiful  mechanism,  which  preserves  the  limbs 
from  jar,  and  ensures  elasticity  in  every  part  of  an  animal 


1 68  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

destined  to  carry  weight  and  to  undergo  rapid  and  continued 
exertion — a  combination  not  existing  in  any  other  quadruped 
to  anything  like  the  same  degree,  and  fitting  him  precisely 
for  the  purposes  for  which  he  was  given  to  man.  At  present 
we  have  said  nothing  about  his  head,  every  part  of  which  is 
equally  characteristic.  His  well-shaped,  delicate  ears  are 
capable  of  being  moved  separately  in  every  direction,  and 
every  movement  is  full  of  meaning  and  in  sympathy  with 
the  eye.  The  eye  is  prominent,  full,  and  large,  and  placed 
laterally,  so  that  he  can  see  behind  him  without  turning  his 
head,  his  heels  being  his  principal  weapon  of  defence;  his 
nostrils  are  large,  open  and  flexible,  and  his  lips  fleshy, 
though  thin,  and  exquisitely  mobile  and  sensitive.  The  large, 
open  nostril  is  essential  to  him,  as  a  horse  breathes  solely 
and  entirely  through  it,  being  physically  incapable  of  breath- 
ing through  his  mouth,  as  a  valve  in  the  throat  actually 
precludes  him  from  so  doing;  hence  the  mouth  of  a  horse, 
without  a  bridle  in  it,  is  opened  only  for  purposes  of  eating 
or  biting,  but  never  from  excitement  or  from  exhaustion,  like 
that  of  most  other  quadrupeds,  except  the  deer  species.  The 
lips  are,  perhaps,  even  more  characteristic;  they  are  his 
hands  as  well  as  part  of  his  mouth,  and  the  horse  and 
others  of  his  family  alone  use  them  in  this  way.  The  ox, 
the  sheep,  the  goat,  the  deer,  the  giraffe  above  all,  and,  in 
fact,  we  believe  all  graminivorous  animals  except  the  horse, 
either  bite  their  food  directly  with  the  teeth,  or  grasp  and 
gather  it  with  the  tongue,  which  is  prehensile,  and  gifted 
with  more  or  less  power  of  prolongation;  but  the  horse's 
tongue  has  no  such  function,  and,  therefore,  no  such  powers, 
as  these  services  are  all  performed  in  his  case  by  the  lips : 
and  no  horseman,  who  has  let  a  favourite  horse  pick  up 
small  articles  of  food  from  the  palm  of  his  hand,  can  have 
failed  to  be  struck  with  the  extreme  mobility,  and  also  the 
sensibility  and  delicacy  of  touch,  with  which  the  lips  are 
endowed." 


THE  DOMESTIC   HORSE.  169 

The  Horse**  The  quality  of  speed  for  which  the  horse  is 
Speed.  so  justly  esteemed  has  been  the  subject  of  ex- 
tensive culture  in  which  the  Arabian  horse  has  contributed 
no  mean  share.  "Some  of  the  horses  first  brought  from 
Arabia  having  been  by  no  means  celebrated,"  says  Captain 
Brown,  "the  breed  had  fallen  into  disrepute,  till  the  descendants 
of  one  procured  by  Mr.  Darley  from  the  deserts,  and  on 
that  account  called  the  Darley  Arabian,  having  borne  away 
the  palm  for  fleetness  from  all  others,  turned  the  tide  of 
fashion  in  favour  of  that  breed.  Yet  it  is  only  the  progeny 
of  the  Arabian  horses  that  excels.  The  English  race-horses 
are  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  all  other  coursers.  As  the  ex- 
traordinary swiftness  of  the  horse  has  been  most  signally 
displayed  in  the  English  race-course,  and  can  also  be  there 
most  precisely  measured,  we  cannot  omit  the  notice  of  some 
of  the  most  remarkable  of  our  racers.  The  most  celebrated 
of  these — and  indeed  the  fleetest  horse  that  ever  was  bred 
in  the  world — was  Flying  Childers,  got  by  the  Darley  Arabian. 
What  Achilles  was  among  warriors,  and  Caesar  among  con- 
querors, such  was  Childers  among  horses,  without  an  equal 
and  without  a  rival.  He  ran  against  the  most  famous  horses 
of  his  age,  and  was  always  victorious.  He  has  been  known 
to  move  at  the  rate  of  nearly  a  mile  in  the  minute.  Next 
to  Childers,  in  fame  and  fleetness,  is  Eclipse,  so  called  from 
having  been  foaled  during  the  great  eclipse  of  1764.  This 
horse  likewise  was  never  beaten :  one  contemporary  rival  alone 
was  supposed  to  exist,  Mr.  Shaftoe's  horse  Gold  finder,  but 
Goldfinder  broke  down  the  October  before  the  proposed 
competition.  Eclipse's  rate  of  going  was  47  feet  in  the  second. 
Childers  had  a  rate  of  49.  One  hundred  to  one  were  offered 
on  Eclipse  against  the  most  famous  racers  of  his  day.  Mr. 
O'Kelly  purchased  him  for  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty  guineas, 
and  cleared  by  him  twenty-five  thousand  pounds.  He  had 
a  vast  stride, — never  horse  threw  his  haunches  below  him 
with  more  vigour  or  effect ;  and  his  hind  legs  were  so  spread 


170  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

in  his  gallop,  that  a  wheelbarrow  might  have  been  driven 
between  them.  King  Herod,  another  famous  horse,  which 
was  generally,  though  not  like  Eclipse  uniformly,  successful,  is 
chiefly  celebrated  for  his  progeny;  his  immediate  descendants 
having  gained  to  their  owners  above  two  hundred  thousand 
pounds." 

The  Horse's  Many  marvellous  stories  are  told  of  the  en- 
Endurance,  durance  of  the  horse.  Sir  John  Malcolm  says, 
"Small  parties  of  Toorkomans,  who  ventured  several  hundred 
miles  into  Persia,  used  both  to  advance  and  retreat  at  the 
average  of  nearly  one  hundred  miles  a  day.  They  train 
their  horses  for  these  expeditions  as  we  should  do  for  a  race, 
and  describe  him  when  in  a  condition  for  a  foray  by  saying 
that  his  flesh  is  marble.  When  I  was  in  Persia,  a  horseman 
mounted  upon  a  Toorkoman  horse,  brought  a  packet  of  letters 
from  Shiraz  to  Teherary,  which  is  a  distance  of  five  hundred 
miles,  within  six  days."  Almost  equally  remarkable  records 
are  held  by  English  horses,  but  the  invention  of  the  loco- 
motive has  done  away  with  the  necessity  for  such  trying 
expeditions  in  civilized  countries,  and  the  horse  is  trained 
more  for  speed  and  strength  than  for  such  long  distance 
efforts.  M.  de  Pages  in  his  travels  round  the  world,  tells  a 
remarkable  story  of  the  endurance  of  the  horse  when  out  of 
his  natural  element;  he  says,  "I  should  have  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  give  it  credit  had  it  not  happened  at  this  place 
(the  Cape  of  Good  Hope)  the  evening  before  my  arrival; 
and  if,  besides  the  public  notoriety  of  the  fact,  I  had  not 
been  an  eyewitness  of  those  vehement  emotions  of  sympathy, 
blended  with  admiration,  which  it  had  justly  excited  in  the 
mind  of  every  individual  at  the  Cape.  A  violent  gale  oi 
wind  setting  in  from  north  and  north  west,  a  vessel  in  the 
road  dragged  her  anchors,  was  forced  on  the  rocks  and 
bulged;  and,  while  the  greater  part  of  the  crew  fell  an  im- 
mediate sacrifice  to  the  waves,  the  remainder  were  seen  from 
the  shore  struggling  for  their  lives,  by  clinging  to  the  different 


THE  DOMESTIC  HORSE.  171 

pieces  of  the  wreck.  The  sea  ran  dreadfully  high,  and  broke 
over  the  sailors  with  such  amazing  fury,  that  no  boat  what- 
ever could  venture  off  to  their  assistance.  Meanwhile  a 
planter,  considerably  advanced  in  life,  had  come  from  his 
farm  to  be  a  spectator  of  the  shipwreck ;  his  heart  was  melted 
at  the  sight  of  the  unhappy  seamen,  and  knowing  the  bold 
and  enterprising  spirit  of  his  horse,  and  his  particular  excel- 
lence as  a  swimmer,  he  instantly  determined  to  make  a  des- 
perate effort  for  their  deliverance.  He  alighted  and  blew  a 
little  brandy  into  his  horse's  nostrils,  and  again  seating  himself 
in  the  saddle,  he  instantly  pushed  into  the  midst  of  the 
breakers.  At  first  both  disappeared,  but  it  was  not  long 
before  they  floated  on  the  surface,  and  swam  up  to  the 
wreck;  when  taking  with  him  two  men,  each  of  whom  held 
by  one  of  his  boots,  he  brought  them  safe  to  shore.  This 
perilous  expedition  he  repeated  no  seldomer  than  seven  times, 
and  saved  fourteen  lives ;  but,  on  his  return  the  eighth  time, 
his  horse  being  much  fatigued,  and  meeting  a  most  formid- 
able wave,  he  lost  his  balance  and  was  overwhelmed  in  a 
moment.  The  horse  swam  safely  to  land,  but  his  gallant 
rider  was  no  more!" 

The  Horse's  Many  remarkable  instances  are  recorded  of  the 
Memory,  exercise  of  the  faculty  of  memory  by  horses. 
Colonel  Smith  mentions  an  instance  of  a  horse  which  he 
had  used  for  two  years  while  in  the  army  abroad,  and 
which  some  years  later  made  himself  known  to  his  old 
master  with  every  demonstration  of  pleasure,  though  harnessed 
to  a  mail  coach.  "That  the  horse  remembers  the  scenes 
and  transactions  of  past  times,"  says  Captain  Brown,  "is 
proved  from  every  day's  experience.  It  enters  familiarly 
into  its  usual  abode;  inclines  to  stop  at  its  ordinary  halting- 
place;  prefers  a  journey  which  it  has  formerly  taken,  and 
falls  readily  into  an  occupation  to  which  it  has  been  accus- 
tomed. It  seeks  the  fields  in  which  it  has  formerly  pastured, 
and  has  been  known  long  afterwards  to  repair  to  the  scenes 


1 72  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

of  its  earlier  days.  A  horse  belonging  to  a  gentleman  of 
Taunton  strayed  from  a  field  at  Corfe,  three  miles  distant 
from  thence.  Aftei  a  long  and  troublesome  search,  he  was 
discovered  on  a  farm  at  Branscombe,  in  Devon,  a  distance 
of  twenty-three  miles,  being  the  place  where  he  was  foaled, 
although  it  is  certain  that  the  animal  had  not  been  there 
for  ten  years,  during  the  whole  of  which  time  he  had  been 
in  the  possession  of  the  gentleman  who  then  owned  him." 
Horses  seem  to  have  a  similar  sense  of  locality  to  that  for 
which  dogs  are  so  famous.  A  horse  will  find  its  way  home 
when  its  master  cannot  see  a  yard  before  him,  instances 
being  recorded  of  parties  lost  in  the  snow  which  covered 
all  tracks,  who  only  saved  their  lives  by  letting  a  horse 
loose  and  following  him.  Captain  Brown  gives  two 
instances  of  horses  who  on  becoming  ill,  found  their  way 
to  the  veterinary  surgeon,  who  had  previously  treated  them, 
entirely  of  their  own  accord.  Instances  are  recorded  also 
of  Cavalry  horses,  who,  on  hearing  thunder  while  out  grazing, 
have  mistaken  it  for  the  sound  of  cannon  and  who  with 
great  excitement  have  formed  themselves  into  line  and 
"  presented  the  front  of  a  field  of  war".  Old  Hunters  who 
have  become  coach  horses  have  been  known  upon  hearing 
the  hounds,  at  the  moment  of  "  changing"  to  dash  after 
them  with  their  harness  on  their  backs  and  riderless  and 
guideless  follow  the  hunt  for  hours.  These  are  instances  of 
the  ruling  passion  strong  in  after  life,  or  perhaps  more 
correctly  speaking  of  the  force  of  habit,  of  which  there  are 
countless  illustrations.  Kosciusko  had  a  horse  which  he 
once  lent  to  a  young  man  whom  ,he  employed  upon  a 
commission,  but  who  on  his  return  declared  that  he  would 
never  use  the  horse  again  unless  also  supplied  with  his  master's 
purse;  for  said  he,  "as  soon  as  a  poor  man  on  the  road 
takes  off  his  hat  and  asks  charity  the  animal  immediately 
stands  still,  and  will  not  stir  until  something  is  bestowed 
upon  the  petitioner;  and  as  I  had  no  money  about  me  I 


THE  DOMESTIC  HORSE.  173 

had  to  feign  giving,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  horse  and  induce 
him  to  proceed. "  Such  loyalty  to  habit,  however  interesting, 
is  not  always  convenient,  as  the  following,  which  I  quote 
from  "Anecdotes  in  Natural  History"  by  the  Rev.  F.  O. 
Morris  will  show. 

"Towards  the  close  of  last  century,  when  volunteers  were 
first  embodied  in  the  different  towns,  an  extensive  line  of 
turnpike  road  was  in  progress  of  construction  in  a  part  of  the 
north.  The  clerk  to  the  trustees  upon  this  line  used  to  send 
one  of  his  assistants  to  ride  along  occasionally,  to  see  that 
the  contractors,  who  were  at  work  in  a  great  many  places, 
were  doing  their  work  properly.  The  assistant,  on  these 
journeys,  rode  a  horse  which  had  for  a  long  time  carried  a 
field  officer,  and,  though  aged,  still  possessed  a  great  deal  of 
spirit.  One  day,  as  he  was  passing  near  a  town  of  considerable 
size  which  lay  on  the  line  of  road,  the  volunteers  were  at 
drill  on  the  common;  and  the  instant  the  horse  heard  the 
drum  he  leaped  the  fence,  and  was  speedily  at  that  post  in 
front  of  the  volunteers  which  would  have  been  occupied  by 
the  commanding  officer  of  a  regiment  on  parade  or  at  drill; 
nor  could  the  rider  by  any  means  get  him  off  the  ground 
until  the  volunteers  retired  to  the  town.  As  long  as  they  kept 
the  field  the  horse  took  the  proper  place  of  a  commanding 
officer  in  all  their  manoeuvres,  and  he  marched  at  the  head 
of  the  corps  into  the  town,  prancing  in  military  style  as 
cleverly  as  his  stiffened  legs  would  allow  him,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  the  volunteers  and  spectators,  and  to  the  no 
small  annoyance  of  the  clerk." 

Perhaps  no  more  amusing  illustration  of  this  force  of  habit 
could  be  found  than  that  cited  by  Captain  Brown  of  a  Scotch 
lawyer  who  purchased  a  horse  at  Smithfield  upon  which  to 
make  a  journey  north.  The  horse  was  a  handsome  one  and 
started  well,  but  on  reaching  Finchley  common,  at  a  place 
where  the  road  ran  down  a  slight  eminence,  and  up  another, 
the  lawyer  met  a  clergyman  driving  a  one  horse  chaise. 


174  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

"There  was  nobody  within  sight,  and  the  horse  by  his 
manoeuvre  instantly  discovered  the  profession  of  his  former 
owner.  Instead  of  pursuing  his  journey  he  laid  his  counter 
close  up  to  the  chaise  and  stopped  it,  having  no  doubt  but  his 
rider  would  embrace  so  fair  an  opportunity  of  exercising  his 
profession.  The  clergyman  seemed  of  the  same  opinion, 
produced  his  purse  unasked,  and  assured  the  astonished 
lawyer,  that  it  was  quite  unnecessary  to  draw  his  pistol  as  he 
did  not  intend  to  offer  any  resistance.  The  traveller  rallied 
his  horse,  and  with  many  apologies  to  the  gentleman  he  had 
so  innocently  and  unwillingly  affrighted,  pursued  his  journey. 
The  horse  next  made  the  same  suspicious  approach  to  a 
coach,  from  the  windows  of  which  a  blunderbuss  was  levelled 
with  denunciations  of  death  and  destruction  to  the  hapless 
and  perplexed  rider.  In  short,  after  his  life  had  been  once 
or  twice  endangered  by  the  suspicions  to  which  the  conduct 
of  his  horse  gave  rise,  and  his  liberty  as  often  threatened  by 
the  peace-officers,  who  were  disposed  to  apprehend  him  as 
a  notorious  highwayman,  the  former  owner  of  the  horse,  he 
was  obliged  to  part  with  the  inauspicious  animal  for  a  trifle, 
and  to  purchase  at  a  large  price  one  less  beautiful,  but  not 
accustomed  to  such  dangerous  habits." 
The  Horse's  Of  the  larger  quadrupeds  the  horse  is  said  to 
intelligence,  be  only  second  in  intelligence  to  the  Elephant, 
and  many  proofs  could  be  given  of  the  high  standard  of 
intelligence  to  which  he  sometimes  attains.  The  Rev.  F.  O. 
Morris  says, — "We  knew  a  blind  coach-horse  that  ran  one 
of  the  stages  on  the  great  north  road  for  several  years,  and 
so  perfectly  was  he  acquainted  with  all  the  stables,  halting- 
places,  and  other  matters,  that  he  was  never  found  to  commit 
a  blunder.  He  could  never  be  driven  past  his  own  stable; 
and  at  the  sound  of  the  coming  coach  he  would  turn  out,  of 
his  own  accord,  into  the  stable-yard.  So  accurate  was  his 
knowledge  of  time,  that  though  half-a-dozen  coaches  halted 
at  the  same  inn  daily,  he  was  never  known  to  stir  till  the 


THE   DOMESTIC  HORSE.  175 

sound  of  his  own  coach,  the  "  ten  o'clock "  was  heard  in  the 
distance."  The  intelligence  of  this  horse  was  somewhat  cir- 
cumscribed but  it  was  perfect  within  its  limits.  Colonel  Smith, 
as  already  quoted,  says,  "  Bipeds  who  exercise  authority  over 
horses,  often  show  little  superiority  of  reason,  and  much  less 
of  temper."  The  way  in  which  horses  have  preserved  mas- 
ters who  have  rendered  themselves  incapable  of  taking  care 
of  themselves  is  proof  of  this.  A  horse  has  been  known  to 
poke  his  nose  in  at  a  tavern  door  and  shake  his  master  by 
the  shoulder,  when  he  has  been  lingering  too  long  over  his 
potations.  Another  horse  whose  master  from  a  similar  cause 
was  unable  to  keep  his  seat  watched  by  his  side  in  the  road 
all  night,  and  on  being  discovered  by  some  labourers  in  the 
early  morning  vigorously  resented  their  attempts  to  awaken 
him.  Professor  Kruger  of  Halle  says,  "  A  friend  of  mine  was 
one  dark  night  riding  home  through  a  wood,  and  had  the 
misfortune  to  strike  his  head  against  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and 
fell  from  his  horse,  stunned  by  the  blow.  The  horse  imme- 
diately returned  to  the  house  which  they  had  left,  about  a 
mile  distant.  He  found  the  door  closed,  and  the  family  gone 
to  bed.  He  pawed  at  the  door  till  one  of  them,  hearing  the 
noise,  arose  and  opened  it,  and  to  his  surprise  saw  the  horse 
of  his  friend.  No  sooner  was  the  door  opened  than  the 
horse  turned  round,  and  the  man,  suspecting  there  was 
something  wrong,  followed  the  animal,  which  led  him  directly 
to  the  spot  where  his  master  lay  on  the  ground  in  a  faint." 
A  pony  has  been  known  to  leap  into  a  canal  and  save 
the  life  of  a  child  in  danger  of  drowning,  and  a  cart  horse 
to  lift  a  child  out  of  the  road  and  place  it  carefully  on  the 
side  walk  before  proceeding  with  his  load.  A  remarkable 
illustration  of  the  intelligence  of  the  horse  under  circumstances 
in  which  most  human  beings  would  have  lost  all  presence  of 
mind,  is  quoted  by  Captain  Brown.  "  In  the  month  of  April, 
1794,  owing  to  a  strong  wind  blowing  contrary  to  the  current 
of  the  river,  the  island  Kroutsand,  surrounded  by  the  two 


176  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

branches  of  the  Elbe,  became  entirely  covered  with  water, 
to  the  great  alarm  of  the  horses,  which,  with  some  foals,  had 
been  grazing  on  it.  They  set  up  a  loud  neighing,  and  col- 
lected themselves  together  within  a  small  space.  To  save 
the  foals  that  were  now  standing  up  to  then:  bellies  in  water 
seemed  to  be  the  object  of  their  consultation.  They  adopted 
a  method  at  once  ingenious  and  effective.  Each  foal  was 
arranged  between  horses,  who  pressed  their  sides  together  so 
as  to  keep  them  wedged  up,  and  entirely  free  from  injury 
from  the  water.  They  retained  this  position  for  six  hours, 
nor  did  they  relinquish  their  burden  till  the  tide  having  ebbed 
and  the  water  subsided,  the  foals  were  placed  out  of  danger." 
Horse  Play.  Horse-play  is  a  term  which  conveys  the  idea 
of  rough  if  not  brutal  romping,  and  yet  the  horse  can  be 
gentle  in  its  friendships  and  considerate  in  its  dealings  with 
weaker  animals,  and  with  children  to  a  remarkable  degree. 
White  in  his  "  Natural  History  of  Selborne  ",  tells  of  a  curious 
friendship  between  a  horse  and  a  hen.  "These  two  incon- 
gruous animals  spent  much  of  their  time  together  in  a  lonely 
orchard,  where  they  saw  no  creature  but  each  other.  By 
degrees  an  apparent  regard  began  to  take  place  between  the 
two  sequestered  individuals;  the  fowl  would  approach  the 
horse  with  notes  of  complacency,  rubbing  herself  quietly 
against  his  legs,  while  the  horse  would  look  down  with  satis- 
faction, and  move  with  the  greatest  caution  and  circumspec- 
tion, lest  he  should  trample  on  his  diminutive  companion." 
A  similar  friendship  is  recorded  as  between  a  horse  and  a 
sheep,  whom  circumstances  threw  much  in  company.  Both 
gregarious  animals  and  both  failing  of  companionships  of  their 
own  kind,  they  found  solace  in  their  loneliness  in  a  beautiful 
if  curious  friendship.  The  gentleness  of  horses  in  dealing 
with  children  has  often  been  remarked,  even  when  within  the 
confined  limits  of  a  stable  they  will  use  the  utmost  circumspec- 
tion as  to  movements  lest  they  should  inadvertently  tread  upon 
their  playfellows.  Mr.  Morris  tells  of  a  plough  horse  who 


THE  DOMESTIC  HORSE.  177 

was  too  tall  for  his  little  master  to  mount  and  who  used  to 
put  his  head  down  to  the  ground  and  allow  the  boy  to 
bestride  his  neek  and  then  by  gently  elevating  his  head  help 
him  to  slide  on  to  his  back.  Horses  have  been  known  to 
allow  liberties  to  children  that  they  would  not  allow  to  their 
elders,  a  remarkable  illustration  of  which  is  given  by  Cap- 
tain Brown.  A  hunter  who  always  violently  resented  any 
attempt  on  the  part  of  his  grooms  to  trim  his  fetlocks,  was 
once  the  subject  of  conversation  in  his  master's  house,  when 
the  master  defied  any  man  "to  perform  the  operation  singly." 
On  the  following  day  when  passing  through  the  stable-yard 
he  was  astonished  and  alarmed  at  seeing  his  youngest  child, 
who  had  been  an  unnoticed  listener  to  the  conversation  the 
night  before,  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  clipping  the  fetlocks  of 
the  horse's  hind  legs,  the  horse  watching  the  operation  with 
evident  satisfaction.  It  is,  however,  as  between  horses  and 
dogs  that  the  truest  affinity  appears  to  exist  of  animals  of 
different  families,  and  numerous  anecdotes  are  told  in  illus- 
tration of  these  friendships.  Captain  Brown  gives  the  follow- 
ing: "Doctor  Smith,  a  practising  physician  in  Dublin,  had  ho 
other  servant  to  take  charge  of  his  horse  while  at  a  patient's 
door,  than  a  large  Newfoundland  dog;  and  between  the  two 
animals,  a  very  good  understanding  subsisted.  When  he 
wished  to  pass  to  another  patient  without  remounting,  he 
needed  but  to  give  a  signal  to  the  pair,  who  followed  him 
in  the  most  perfect  good  order.  The  dog  also  led  the  horse 
to  the  water,  and  would  give  him  a  signal  to  leap  over  a  stream. 
While  performing  this  on  one  occasion,  the  dog  lost  hold  of 
the  reins,  when  the  horse,  having  cleared  the  leap,  ttotted 
back  to  the  dog,  who  resumed  the  reins." 

"A  gentleman  in  Bristol  had  a  greyhound  which  slept  in 
the  same  stable,  and  contracted  a  very  great  intimacy  with 
a  fine  hunter.  When  the  dog  was  taken  out  the  horse 
neighed  wistfully  after  him;  he  welcomed  him  home  with  a 
neigh;  the  greyhound  ran  up  to  the  horse  and  licked  him- 

12 


178  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

the  horse,  in  return,  scratched  the  greyhound's  back  with  his 
teeth.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  groom  had  the  pair  out 
for  exercise,  a  large  dog  attacked  the  greyhound,  bore  him 
to  the  ground,  and  seemed  likely  to  worry  him,  when  the 
horse  threw  back  his  ears,  rushed  forward,  seized  the  strange 
dog  by  the  back  and  flung  him  to  a  distance  which  the 
animal  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  make  less." 

The  horse's  sympathy  with  his  own  kind  must,  however, 
not  pass  without  mention.  Horses  have  been  known  to 
masticate  food  for  their  toothless  companions,  an  instance 
being  recorded  by  M.  de  Boussanelle,  a  cavalry  officer,  of  a 
horse  belonging  to  his  company  who  was  fed  for  two  months 
hi  this  way  by  the  horses  stationed  on  either  side  of  him. 
Whether  the  horses  in  the  following  case  were  actuated  by 
sj'mpathy  or  fear,  the  story  deserves  to  be  retold  for  its 
extreme  pathos.  When  Sir  John  Moore's  soldiers  embarked 
after  the  battle  of  Corunna,  orders  were  given  that  the  troop 
horses  should  be  shot,  rather  than  that  they  should  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  "These  horses,"  says  Colonel  Smith, 
"witnessing  their  companions  fall  one  after  another,  stood 
trembling  with  fear,  and  by  then:  piteous  looks  seemed  to 
implore  mercy  from  the  men  who  had  been  their  riders,  until 
the  duty  imposed  upon  the  dragoons  who  had  been  intrusted 
with  the  execution  of  the  order  became  unbearable,  and  the 
men  turned  away  from  the  task  with  scalding  tears:  hence 
the  French  obtained  a  considerable  number  unhurt,  and 
among  them  several  belonging  to  officers  who,  rather  than 
destroy  them,  had  left  their  faithful  chargers  with  billets 
attached  recommending  them  to  the  kindness  of  the  enemy." 

The  Asa.  The  ass  is  an  animal  which  seems  to  be  more 
than  ordinarily  affected  by  its  surroundings  and  treatment. 
In  eastern  countries  where  it  is  well  cared  for,  and  employed 
in  the  service  of  the  rich,  it  rises  to  the  occasion  and  becomes 
both  graceful  and  spirited  in  action  and  elegant  and  refined 
in  appearance :  in  the  west  where  it  is  discarded  for  the  sake 


THE  ASS.  179 

of  the  horse,  and  used  almost  solely  as  a  beast  of  heavy 
burden,  often  suffering  great  cruelty  and  hardship,  it  seems  to 
lose  spirit  and  become  dull  and  obstinate,  as  people  do  who, 
crushed  by  hard  circumstances,  lose  hope.  The  ass  has  an 
ancient  and  honourable  history  which  dates  back  apparently 
as  far  as  that  of  the  horse.  He  is  mentioned  alike  by  sacred 
and  profane  writers,  Job  and  Homer  making  flattering  reference 
to  him.  In  Syria  and  Persia,  where  he  is  cultivated,  he  attains 
to  a  much  larger  size  than  in  the  west,  where  he  may 
be  described  as  about  two-thirds  the  size  of  the  horse.  In 
ancient  times  these  animals  fetched  very  large  sums,  sums 
which  in  our  day  would  be  considered  very  large  for  a  horse,  a 
stallion  mentioned  by  Pliny  realising  a  sum  exceeding  .£3000. 
"No  domestic  animal,"  says  Colonel  Smith,  "in  proportion 
to  its  bulk,  can  carry  a  greater  weight,  or  continue  to  labour 
longer  without  sustenance.  The  ass  is  emphatically  the  poor 
man's  horse  in  every  country ;  and  if  care  were  taken  of  the 
breed,  and  well  selected  animals  imported  from  Arabia,  a 
very  useful  and  handsome  race  might  be  reafed."  Though 
the  ordinary  ass  is  slow  and  obstinate,  his  eastern  cousin  is 
both  fleet  and  obedient,  and  remarkable  feats  have  been 
performed  by  half  breeds.  A  half-bred,  Spanish  and  English, 
of  twelve  and  a  half  hands  high,  belonging  to  Mr.  Wilson  of 
Ipswich,  drew  a  light  gig  from  Ipswich  to  London  and  back 
again,  a  distance  of  140  miles,  in  two  days.  He  is  said  to 
have  maintained  a  pace  little  short  of  that  of  a  good  gig 
horse  and  to  have  performed  the  whole  journey  with  ease, 
finishing  it  without  whip,  at  the  rate  of  seven  miles  an  hour. 
Though  patient  above  most  animals,  the  ass  will  sometimes 
turn  like  the  proverbial  worm,  and  instances  are  known 
in  which  he  has  adopted  the  offensive  with  effect.  Some 
years  ago,  a  bull  dog  which  had  been  set  on  to  an  ass,  was 
caught  by  the  latter  in  his  teeth,  carried  to  the  river  Derwent 
and  held  under  water  until  he  was  drowned.  Donkeys  have 
often  been  known  after  enduring  great  provocation  from  boys 


180  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

to   turn   on   their  assailants  and  put  them  to  speedy  and 
anxious  flight. 

The  Sagacity  Dull  though  he  appears  to  be,  the  ass  show 
of  the  Ass.  himself  on  occasion  to  be  possessed  of  no  little 
invention  in  matters  that  concern  his  liberty  and  comfort. 
His  aptitude  for  lifting  latches  and  drawing  bolts  has  often 
been  observed.  Mr.  Fuller  describes  the  actions  of  an  ass 
he  saw,  who  put  his  head  sideways  between  the  bars  of 
a  gate  and  turning  it  into  its  normal  position  lifted  the 
gate  over  the  latch  and  pushed  it  forward,  withdrawing  his 
head  after  he  had  opened  the  gate  and  proceeding  to  enjoy 
the  dainties  of  the  field  into  which  he  had  thus  effected  an 
entrance.  A  still  more  remarkable  instance  is  given  by  Mr. 
East  who  says:  "While  living  on  the  Sussex  coast,  I  had 
myself  a  very  fine  donkey,  which  was  a  remarkably  docile 
and  knowing  animal.  He  was  the  constant  companion  of  my 
children  in  their  rambles  on  the  downs,  and  on  those  occa- 
sions seemed  to  think  he  had  a  right  to  share  in  all  the 
eatables  and  drinkables,  and  would  do  so  most  readily, 
whether  cakes,  apples,  oranges,  sweetmeats,  milk,  or  even 
tea ;  ginger-beer  being  the  only  exception.  With  this  he  was 
thoroughly  disgusted,  in  consequence  of  the  cork,  which  had 
been  expelled  from  the  bottle  with  the  usual  loud  report, 
having  struck  him  on  the  nose.  This  he  never  forgot;  but 
would  quickly  march  off  whenever  a  ginger-beer  bottle  was 
produced.  But  his  cleverness  and  cunning  were  more  especi- 
ally shown  in  the  following  incident : — His  lodging-place  at 
night  was  a  small,  open  shed,  whence  he  had  free  access  to 
a  yard;  but  not,  of  course,  to  the  kitchen-garden  which 
adjoined  it.  The  latter  was  separated  from  the  yard  by  a 
wall  and  door,  fastened  securely,  as  we  imagined,  by  two 
bolts  and  an  ordinary  latch.  We  were,  however,  surprised  to 
find  that  the  door  had  been  unfastened  during  the  night, 
while  the  footprints  of  the  donkey  on  the  garden  walks  and 
beds  too  plainly  told  who  had  been  the  trespasser.  Still  we 


THE  ASS.  l8l 

could  hardly  suppose  he  could  have  drawn  the  bolts  and 
let  himself  in,  especially  as  the  upper  bolt  was  fixed  at  a 
considerable  height.  This,  however,  proved  to  have  been  the 
case ;  for  my  bedroom  overlooking  the  yard  and  garden,  I 
one  night  watched  at  the  window,  and  distinctly  saw  master 
donkey,  reared  on  his  hind  legs,  unfastening  the  upper  bolt 
with  his  nose  or  mouth.  He  then  withdrew  the  lower  one, 
lifted  the  latch,  and  walked  quietly  into  the  garden.  In  a 
few  minutes  I  further  observed  him  returning  to  his  shed  with 
a  large  bunch  of  carrots,  which  he  deposited  in  his  shed,  and 
then  went  back — not,  certainly,  to  bolt,  but  to  latch  the 
door;  after  which  he  leisurely  set  about  munching  his  slily 
acquired  booty.  Before  putting  a  final  stop  to  these  proceed- 
ings, I  gave  several  of  my  neighbours,  who  were  incredulous 
upon  the  subject,  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  them.  And 
at  these  times  his  sagacity  was  further  evinced  by  the  fact 
that  he  would  never  commence  his  operations  until  after  the 
light  had  been  extinguished  at  the  bedroom  window." 
The  instinct  The  sense  of  locality  so  conspicuous  in  the 
of  the  Ass.  (jOgj  the  cat  and  the  horse  is  also  possessed  in 
a  remarkable  degree  by  the  ass,  as  the  following  story  told 
by  Captain  Brown  will  show.  "In  1816,  an  ass  belonging 
to  Captain  Dundas  was  shipped  on  board  the  Ister,  bound 
from  Gibraltar  to  Malta.  The  vessel  struck  on  a  sand-bank 
off  the  Point  de  Gat,  and  the  ass  was  thrown  overboard  into 
a  sea  which  was  so  stormy  that  a  boat  that  soon  after  left 
the  ship  was  lost.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days,  when  the 
gates  of  Gibraltar  were  opened  in  the  morning,  the  guard 
was  surprised  by  the  same  ass  which  had  so  recently  been 
removed,  presenting  itself  for  admittance.  On  entering,  it 
proceeded  immediately  to  the  stable  which  it  had  formerly 
occupied,  The  ass  had  not  only  swum  to  the  shore,  but 
found  its  own  way  from  Point  de  Gat  to  Gibraltar,  a  distance 
of  more  than  two  hundred  miles,  through  a  mountainous  and 
intricate  country  intersected  by  streams,  which  it  had  never 


1 82  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

passed  before— but  which  it  had  now  crossed  so  expeditiously 
that  it  must  have  gone  by  a  route  leading  the  most  directly 
to  Gibraltar." 

The  Trained  The  ass  like  many  other  animals  is  capable 
Ass.  of  being  trained  to  perform  many  tricks,  advan- 
tage of  which  seems  to  have  been  taken  long  before  our  time, 
as  the  following  quoted  by  Captain  Brown  will  show.  John 
Leo,  in  a  book  printed  as  early  as  1556,  says,  "when  the 
Mahometan  worship  was  over,  the  common  people  of  Cairo 
resorted  to  the  foot  of  the  suburbs  called  Bed-Elloch  to  see 
the  exhibition  of  stage-players  and  mountebanks,  who  teach 
camels,  asses,  and  dogs  to  dance.  The  dancing  of  the  ass 
is  diverting  enough;  for  after  he  has  frisked  and  capered 
about,,  his  master  tells  him,  that  the  Soldan,  meaning  to  build 
a  great  palace,  intends  to  employ  all  the  asses  in  carrying 
mortar,  stones,  and  other  materials;  upon  which  the  ass  falls 
down  with  his  heels  upwards,  closing  his  eyes,  and  extending 
his  chest,  as  if  he  were  dead.  This  done,  the  master  begs 
some  assistance  of  the  company,  to  make  up  the  loss  of  the 
dead  ass ;  and  having  got  all  he  can,  he  gives  them  to  know 
that  truly  his  ass  is  not  dead,  but  only  being  sensible  of  his 
master's  necessity,  played  that  trick  to  procure  some  pro- 
vender. He  then  commands  the  ass  to  rise,  who  still  lies  in 
the  same  posture,  notwithstanding  all  the  blows  he  can  give 
him,  till  at  last  he  proclaims,  by  virtue  of  an  edict  of  the 
Soldan,  all  are  bound  to  ride  out  next  day  upon  the  come- 
liest  asses  they  can  find,  in  order  to  see  a  triumphal  show, 
and  to  entertain  their  asses  with  oats  and  Nile  water.  These 
words  are  no  sooner  pronounced,  than  the  ass  starts  up, 
prances,  and  leaps  for  joy.  The  master  then  declares,  that 
his  ass  has  been  pitched  upon  by  the  warden  of  his  street, 
to  carry  his  deformed  and  ugly  wife;  upon  which  the  ass 
lowers  his  ears,  and  limps  with  one  of  his  legs,  as  if  he  were 
lame.  The  master,  alleging  that  his  ass  admires  handsome 
women,  commands  him  to  single  out  the  prettiest  lady  in 


THE  MULE  AND   THE   HINNY.  183 

the  company;  and  accordingly,  he  makes  his  choice  by  going 
round,   and   touching  one  of  the  prettiest  with  his  head,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  the  company."  - 
The  Mule  and      The    Mule  and  the  Hinny,  are  the  off-spring 

the  Hinny.  of  the  ass  and  the  horse  and  combine  to  some 
extent  the  qualities  of  both.  The  mule  has  the  sure-footed- 
ness  of  the  ass,  and  the  size  and  appearance  of  the  horse. 
His  history  dates  back  to  classical  and  Biblical  times,  and 
mention  is  made  of  him  both  in  the  Iliad  and  in  the  Bible. 
In  the  East  he  is  still  trained  to  useful  service,  and  in  Eng- 
land he  is  used  in  tramways  and  road  cars.  The  Spanish 
mules  are  trained  to  understand  the  calls  of  their  driver  who 
directs  their  course  by  shouting  from  the  box. 

The  Zebra.  The  Zebra  resembles  the  horse  in  shape,  and 
in  size  stands  half  way  between  the  horse  and  the  ass. 
He  belongs  to  Central  Africa,  and  hitherto  has  resisted  all 
attempts  to  tame  him  for  practical  use.  He  is  a  beautiful 
animal,  handsomely  marked  with  black  and  white  stripes 
all  over  the  body,  and  black  and  white  rings  round  the  legs. 
Burchell's  Zebra  which  belongs  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
is  similar,  but  has  white  legs.  The  Quagga  of  Southern  Africa 
has  a  brown  coat  striped  with  black,  a  white  waistcoat,  and 
white  stockings.  Zebras  have  been  half  tamed,  when  kept  in 
menageries,  but  lack  the  instinctive  docility  of  the  horse. 

The  Tapir.  The  next  family  we  have  to  deal  with  is  the 
family  of  the  Tapirida,  in  which  there  are  two  genera  and 
six  species.  The  Tapir  is  a  large  and  powerful  animal 
standing  from  five  to  six  feet  in  height  and  inhabiting  the 
warmer  regions  of  South  America.  It  is  nocturnal  in  its 
habits  and  feeds  on  water-melons,  gourds,  and  other  fruits 
and  vegetables.  It  frequents  the  water  and  can  remain  below 
the  surface  for  a  long  time.  Its  hide  is  very  thick  and  its 
senses  of  sight,  hearing,  and  smell  very  acute.  Its  most 
characteristic  feature  is  as  hort  mobile  probos-cis  which  enables 
it  to  seize  hold  of  boughs  and  fruits  when  in  search  of  food. 


1 84  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  says,  "Its  disposition  is  gentle,  but 
when  annoyed,  it  sometimes  rushes  at  its  antagonist,  and 
defends  itself  vigorously  with  its  powerful  teeth.  The  jaguar 
frequently  springs  on  it,  but  it  is  often  dislodged  by  the 
activity  of  the  Tapir,  who  rushes  through  the  bushes  imme- 
diately that  it  feels  the  claws  of  its  enemy,  and  endeavours 
to  brush  him  off  against  the  thick  branches."  The  Tapir  is 
easily  tamed  and  even  domesticated,  though  it  must  be 
admitted  it  makes  a  somewhat  huge  pet.  It  is  intelligent 
and  in  its  own  way  shows  appreciation  of  kindness  and 
attachment  to  its  owner.  This  family  has  sometimes  been 
regarded  as  a  link  between  the  Elephant  and  the  Rhinoceros, 
but  in  the  classification  here  followed  the  Elephant  forms  a 
separate  order;  the  Tapir  and  the  Rhinoceros  complete 
the  sub-order  of  Perissodactyla  or  odd-toed,  hoofed  animals. 
The  Indian  Tapir  is  somewhat  larger  than  his  American 
cousin  and  is  distinguished  by  the  greyish-white  colour  of 
his  hind  quarters,  which  gives  him  the  appearance  of  bearing 
a  white  horse  cloth  on  his  loins. 

The  The    Rhinoceros  is   found  in  both  Asia  and 

Rhinoceros.  Africa,  and  is  classified  by  Dr.  Gray  in  four 
genera.  Of  these  the  Indian  Rhinoceros,  the  Rhinoceros  of 
Sumatra,  and  the  Mahoohoo  of  South  and  Central  Africa 
are  representatives.  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming  says,  "  There  are 
four  varieties  in  South  Africa,  distinguished  by  the  Bechuanas 
by  the  names  of  the  Borele  or  black  rhinoceros,  the  Keitloa 
or  two-horned  black  rhinoceros,  the  Muchocho  or  common 
white  rhinoceros  and  the  Kobaoba  or  long-horned  white 
rhinoceros.  Both  varieties  of  the  black  rhinoceros  are 
extremely  fierce  and  dangerous,  and  rush  headlong  and 
unprovoked  upon  any  object  which  attracts  their  attention. 
Their  horns  are  much  shorter  than  those  of  the  other  varieties, 
seldom  exceeding  eighteen  inches  in  length.  They  are  finely 
polished  with  constant  rubbing  against  trees.  The  skull  is 
remarkably  formed,  its  most  striking  feature  being  the 


Plate  No.  9 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


INDIAN    RHINOCEROS 
(Rhinoceros  unicornis) 


CAMEL 

(Camelus  dromedarius) 


THE  RHINOCEROS.  185 

tremendous  thick  ossification  in  which  it  ends  above  the 
nostrils.  It  is  on  this  mass  that  the  horn  is  supported. 
The  horns  are  not  connected  with  the  skull,  being  attached 
merely  by  the  skin,  and  they  may  thus  be  separated  from 
the  head  by  a  sharp  knife.  They  are  hard  and  perfectly 
solid  throughout.  The  eyes  of  the  rhinoceros  are  small  and 
sparkling  and  do  not  readily  observe  the  hunter,  provided 
he  keep  to  leeward  of  them.  The  skin  is  extremely  thick, 
and  only  to  be  penetrated  by  bullets  hardened  with  solder." 
"During  the  day  the  rhinoceros  will  be  found  lying  asleep 
or  standing  indolently  in  some  retired  part  of  the  forest,  or 
under  the  base  of  the  mountains,  sheltered  from  the  power 
of  the  sun  by  some  friendly  grove  of  umbrella-topped 
mimosas.  In  the  evening  they  commence  their  nightly  ramble, 
and  wander  over  a  great  extent  of  country."  "  The  black 
rhinoceros  is  subject  to  paroxysms  of  unprovoked  fury,  often 
ploughing  up  the  ground  for  several  yards  with  its  horns,  and 
assaulting  large  bushes  in  the  most  violent  manner."  "The 
rhinoceros  is  supposed  by  many,  and  by  myself  among  the 
rest,  to  be  the  animal  alluded  to  by  Job,  Chap,  xxxix,  verses 
10  and  u,  where  it  is  written:  'Canst  thou  bind  the  unicorn 
with  his  band  in  the  furrow?  or  will  he  harrow  the  valleys 
after  thee?  Wilt  thou  trust  him  because  his  strength  is 
great  ?  or  wilt  thou  leave  thy  labour  to  him  ?' "  "  All  the  four 
varieties  delight  to  roll  and  wallow  in  mud,  with  which  their 
rugged  hides  are  generally  encrusted.  Both  varieties  of  the 
black  rhinoceros  are  much  smaller  and  more  active  than  the 
white,  and  are  so  swift  that  a  horse  with  a  rider  on  his 
back  can  rarely  overtake  them.  The  two  varieties  of  the 
white  rhinoceros  are  so  similar  in  habits,  that  the  description 
of  one  will  serve  for  both ;  the  principal  difference  consisting 
in  the  length  and  set  of  the  anterior  horn;  that  of  the 
muchocho  averaging  from  two  to  three  feet  in  length,  and 
pointing  backwards;  while  the  horn  of  the  Kobaoba  often 
exceeds  four  feet  in  length,  and  inclines  forward  from  the 


1 86  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

nose  at  an  angle  of  45°.  The  posterior  horn  of  either  species 
seldom  exceeds  six  or  seven  inches  in  length.  Both  these 
varieties  attain  an  enormous  size,  being  the  animals  next  in 
magnitude  to  the  elephant.  They  feed  solely  on  grass,  carry 
much  fat,  and  their  flesh  is  excellent,  being  preferable 
to  beef." 

Rhinoceros  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming  gives  several  graphic 
Hunting,  descriptions  of  his  experiences  with  the  rhinoceros, 
in  his  "Hunting  Adventures  in  South  Africa",  from  which 
work  the  foregoing  description  of  the  several  species  is  taken. 
On  one  occasion  after  following  a  huge  white  rhinoceros, 
which,  however,  escaped  him,  he  says,  "  I  found  myself  on  the 
banks  of  the  stream  beside  which  my  waggons  were  out- 
spanned.  Following  along  its  margin,  I  presently  beheld  a 
bull  of  the  borele,  or  black  rhinoceros,  standing  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  me.  Dismounting  from  my  horse,  I  secured 
him  to  a  tree,  and  then  stalked  within  twenty  yards  of  the 
huge  beast,  under  cover  of  a  large  strong  bush.  Borele, 
hearing  me  advance,  came  on  to  see  what  it  was,  and  suddenly 
protruded  his  horny  nose  within  twenty  yards  of  me.  Knowing 
well  that  a  front  shot  would  not  prove  deadly,  I  sprang  to 
my  feet  and  ran  behind  the  bush.  Upon  this  the  villain 
charged,  blowing  loudly,  and  chased  me  round  the  bush. 
Had  his  activity  been  equal  to  his  ugliness  my  wanderings 
would  have  terminated  here,  but  by  my  superiority  I  had 
the  advantage  in  the  turn.  After  standing  a  short  time  eyeing 
me  through  the  bush ...  he  wheeled  about,  leaving  me  master 
of  the  field."  This  was  not  the  only  nor  even  the  narrowest 
escape  experienced  by  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming  when  hunting 
this  enormous  beast.  On  another  occasion  he  says : — "  Having 
proceeded  about  two  miles  with  large  herds  of  game  on  every 
side,  I  observed  a  crusty  looking  old  bull  borele  or  black 
rhinoceros,  cocking  his  ears  one  hundred  yards  in  advance. 
He  had  not  observed  us;  and  soon  after  he  walked  slowly 
towards  us,  and  stood  broadside,  eating  some  wait-a-bit 


THE  RHINOCEROS.  187 

thorns  within  fifty  yards  of  me.  I  fired  from  my  saddle, 
and  sent  a  bullet  in  behind  his  shoulder,  upon  which  he 
rushed  forward  about  one  hundred  yards  in  tremendous 
consternation,  blowing  like  a  grampus,  and  then  stood  looking 
about  him.  Presently  he  made  off.  I  followed,  but  found 
it  hard  to  come  up  with  him.  The  chase  led  through  a 
large  herd  of  wildebeests,  zebras,  and  springboks,  which  gazed 
at  us  in  utter  amazement.  At  length  I  fired  my  second 
barrel,  but  my  horse  was  fidgety,  and  I  missed.  I  continued 
riding  alongside  of  him,  expecting  in  my  ignorance,  that  at 
length  he  would  come  to  bay,  which  rhinoceroses  never  do ; 
when  suddenly  he  fell  flat  on  his  broadside  on  the  ground, 
but,  recovering  his  feet  resumed  his  course  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.  Becoming  at  last  annoyed  at  the  length  of 
the  chase,  as  I  wished  to  keep  my  horse  fresh  for  the  elephants, 
and  being  indifferent  whether  I  got  the  rhinoceros  or  not,  I 
determined  to  bring  matters  to  a  crisis,  so  spurring  my  horse, 
I  dashed  ahead,  and  rode  right  in  his  path.  Upon  this  the 
hideous  monster  instantly  charged  me  in  the  most  resolute 
manner,  blowing  loudly  through  his  nostrils;  and  although 
I  quickly  wheeled  about  to  my  left,  he  followed  me  at  such 
a  furious  pace  for  several  hundred  yards,  with  his  horrid 
horny  snout  within  a  few  yards  of  my  horse's  tail,  that  my 
little  bushman,  who  was  looking  on  in  great  alarm,  thought 
his  master's  destruction  inevitable.  It  was  certainly  a  very 
near  thing;  my  horse  was  extremely  afraid  and  exerted  his 
utmost  energies  on  the  occasion.  The  rhinoceros,  however, 
wheeled  about  and  continued  his  former  course,  and  I,  being 
perfectly  satisfied  with  the  interview  which  I  had  already 
enjoyed  with  him,  had  no  desire  to  cultivate  his  acquaint- 
ance any  further,  and  accordingly  made  for  the  camp." 
The  Tame  Some  species  of  the  rhinoceros,  if  not  all,  seem 
Rhinoceros,  to  be  tamable.  The  Indian  variety  distinguished 
by  the  thick  folds  of  heavy  garment-like  skin,  which  hang 
from  his  shoulders,  haunches  and  thighs,  has  been  trained 


1 88  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

to  exercise  the  same  quiet  patience  which  distinguishes 
the  elephant.  The  paroxysms  of  rage  which  Mr.  Gordon 
Gumming  describes  the  African  variety  as  venting  upon  a 
harmless  bush,  or  employing  in  tearing  up  the  earth,  have 
been  known  to  seize  those  specimens  which  have  been  im- 
ported into  England,  as  the  following  account  of  the  rhino- 
ceros, exhibited  at  Exeter  Change,  published  in  the  "  Philoso- 
phical Transactions  for  1822,"  will  show.  "  This  animal  about 
a  month  after  it  came,  endeavoured  to  kill  the  keeper,  and 
nearly  succeeded.  It  ran  at  him  with  the  greatest  impetuosity, 
but,  fortunately,  the  horn  passed  between  his  thighs,  and 
threw  the  keeper  on  its  head;  the  horn  came  against  a 
wooden  partition,  into  which  the  animal  forced  it  to  such  a 
depth  as  to  be  unable  for  a  minute  to  withdraw  it,  and, 
during  this  interval,  the  man  escaped.  Frequently,  (more 
especially  in  the  middle  of  the  night),  fits  of  frenzy  came 
on;  and,  while  these  lasted,  nothing  could  control  its  rage, 
the  rhinoceros  running  with  great  swiftness  round  the  den, 
playing  all  kinds  of  antics,  making  hideous  noises,  knocking 
everything  to  pieces,  disturbing  the  whole  neighbourhood, 
and  then,  all  at  once,  becoming  quiet.  While  the  fit  was 
on,  even  the  keeper  durst  not  make  his  approach.  The 
animal  fell  upon  its  knee  to  enable  the  horn  to  be  borne 
upon  any  object.  It  was  quick  in  all  its  motions,  ate  vora- 
ciously all  kinds  of  vegetables,  appearing  to  have  no  selection. 
They  fed  it  on  branches  of  willow.  Three  years'  confinement 
made  no  alteration  in  its  habits."  The  rhinoceros  is  said 
to  live  for  a  hundred  years. 

The  Hippo-  The  Hippopotamus  introduces  the  second  sub- 
potamus.  order  of  the  hoofed  animals,  the  Artiodactyla, 
animals  having  an  even  number  of  toes.  There  is  but 
one  genus  of  the  Hippopotamus  and  two  species,  the  Hippo- 
potamus of  the  great  n  /ers  of  Southern  Africa,  and  the  Liberian 
Hippopotamus  of  the  West.  The  Hippotamus  is  gregarious, 
congregating  in  the  deep  shady  pools  and  on  the  sandy 


THE  HIPPOPOTAMUS.  189 

banks  of  the  shallow  rivers  of  its  native  land.  It  attains  to 
ten  or  eleven  feet  in  length,  and  to  five  feet,  or  more,  in 
height,  being  the  next  largest  animal  to  the  rhinoceros  and 
the  elephant.  He  is  a  powerful  beast  and  has  been  known 
to  attack  and  capsize  boats,  though  when  hunted  he  usually 
sinks  to  the  bottom  of  the  river  where  he  is  able  to  remain 
five  or  six  minutes  without  rising  to  the  surface  for  breath. 
The  form  of  his  head  enables  him  to  lift  his  eyes  and  his  nostrils 
above  the  water  at  the  same  time  without  exposing  more  than 
a  slight  portion  of  his  head.  Thus,  while  taking  in  breath 
to  sustain  him  while  out  of  the  reach  of  his  enemies,  he  can 
watch  their  movements  and  determine  his  course  below.  His 
hide  is  very  thick  and  strong  and  is,  therefore,  very  useful 
for  a  variety  of  purposes,  while  his  tusks  furnish  the  dentist 
with  the  material  to  supply  human  deficiencies. 
The  Haunt  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming  gives  the  following 

of  the        vivid  description  of  the  haunt  of  the  Hippopotami. 
Hippopotami.    «The    next  day  j  rode  down  the  ^^  tQ  geek 

sea-cows,  taking  as  usual  my  double-barrelled  rifles.  We  had 
proceeded  about  two  miles  when  we  came  upon  some  most 
thoroughly  beaten,  old  established  hippopotamus  paths,  and 
presently,  in  a  broad,  long,  deep,  and  shaded  pool  of  the 
river,  we  heard  the  sea-cows  bellowing.  There  I  beheld 
one  of  the  most  wondrous  and  interesting  sights  that  a 
sportsman  can  be  blessed  with.  I  at  once  knew  that  there 
must  be  an  immense  herd  of  them,  for  the  voices  came  from 
the  different  parts  of  the  pool;  so  creeping  in  through  the 
bushes  to  obtain  an  inspection,  a  large  sandy  Island 
appeared  at  the  neck  of  the  pool,  on  which  stood  several 
large  shady  trees.  The  neck  of  the  pool  was  very  wide  and 
shallow,  with  rocks  and  large  stones ;  below,  it  was  deep  and 
still.  On  a  sandy  promontory  of  this  Island  stood  about 
thirty  cows  and  calves,  whilst  in  the  pool  opposite,  and  a 
little  below  them,  stood  about  twenty  more  sea-cows,  with 
their  heads  and  backs  above  water.  About  fifty  yards  further 


IQO  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

down  the  river  again,  showing  out  their  heads,  were  eight  or 
ten  immense  fellows,  which  I  think  were  all  bulls ;  and  about 
one  hundred  yards  below  these  in  the  middle  of  the  stream 
stood  another  herd  of  about  eight  or  ten  cows  with  calves 
and  two  huge  bulls.  The  sea-cows  lay  close  together  like 
pigs;  a  favourite  position  was  to  rest  their  heads  on  their 
comrade's  sterns  and  sides.  The  herds  were  attended  by 
an  immense  number  of  the  invariable  rhinoceros  birds,  which 
on  observing  me  did  their  best  to  spread  alarm  throughout 
the  hippopotami.  I  was  resolved  to  select,  if  possible,  a  first- 
rate  old  bull  out  of  this  vast  herd,  and  I  accordingly 
delayed  firing  for  nearly  two  hours,  continually  running  up 
and  down  behind  the  thick  thorny  cover,  attentively  studying 
the  heads.  At  length  I  determined  to  go  close  in  and  select 
the  best  head  out  of  the  eight  or  ten  bulls  which  lay  below 
the  cows.  I  accordingly  left  the  cover,  and  walked  slowly 
forward  in  full  view  of  the  whole  herd  to  the  water's  edge, 
where  I  lay  down  on  my  belly  and  studied  the  heads  of 
these  bulls.  The  cows  on  seeing  me  splashed  into  the  water 
and  kept  up  a  continual  snorting  and  blowing  till  night  set 
in.  After  selecting  for  a  few  minutes  I  fired  my  first  shot 
at  a  splendid  bull  and  sent  the  ball  in  a  little  behind  the 
eye.  He  was  at  once  incapacitated,  and  kept  plunging  and 
swimming  round  and  round,  wearing  away  down  the  pool, 
until  I  finished  him  with  two  more  shots." 

The  Pig  Pigs,  hogs  and  peccaries  form  the  next  family 
Family.  with  which  we  have  to  deal.  The  Wild  Boar 
which  we  may  take  first,  is  famous  in  classic  history  and 
European  legends,  and  Is  celebrated  both  by  ancient  and 
modern  poets.  He  is,  or  was  common  to  Europe,  Asia  and 
Africa,  and  whether  in  the  hunt  or  the  banquet  has  always 
been  highly  esteemed.  The  boar  hunt  is  an  exciting  chase, 
having  all  the  elements  of  danger  necessary  to  give  it  zest. 
Boars  have  been  known  to  kill  not  only  dogs,  but  horses 
and  men  with  their  powerful  tusks,  turning  and  rending  them 


THE  BOAR.  191 

with  great  strength  and  ferocity.  When  in  a  wild  state  the 
boar  is  a  dangerous  and  inconvenient  neighbour,  for  he  com- 
mits serious  depredations  upon  the  property  of  the  peasant 
and  the  farmer.  Bruce  in  his  travels  gives  an  illustration  of 
this.  He  says :  "  We  pitched  our  tent  in  a  small  plain  by  the 
banks  of  a  quick  clear  running  stream;  the  spot  is  called 
Mai-Shum.  A  peasant  had  made  a  very  neat  little  garden, 
on  both  sides  of  the  rivulet,  in  which  he  had  sown  abundance 
of  onions  and  garlic,  and  he  had  a  species  of  pumpkin  which 
I  thought  was  little  inferior  to  a  melon.  This  man  guessed 
by  our  arms  and  our  horses  that  we  were  hunters,  and  he 
brought  us  a  present  of  the  fruits  of  his  garden,  and  begged 
our  assistance  against  a  number  of  wild  boars,  which  carried 
havoc  and  desolation  through  all  his  labours,  marks  of  which 
were,  indeed,  too  visible  everywhere. — Amongst  us  all  we 
killed  five  boars,  all  large  ones,  in  the  space  of  about  two 
hours ;  one  of  which  measured  six  feet  nine  inches ;  and 
though  he  ran  at  an  amazing  speed  near  two  miles,  so  as  to 
be  with  difficulty  overtaken  by  the  horse,  and  was  struck 
through  and  through  with  two  heavy  lances  loaded  at  the 
end  with  iron,  no  person  dared  to  come  near  him  on  foot, 
and  he  defended  himself  above  half  an  hour,  till  having  no 
other  arms  left,  I  shot  him  with  a  horse-pistol."  The  tusks 
of  the  wild  boar  are  often  a  foot  in  length  and  his  hide  is 
so  tough  that  small  bullets  have  been  found  between  the  skin 
and  the  flesh  of  captured  specimens. 

The  Common  Authorities  differ  as  to  whether  the  domestic 
Hog.  pig  ^  derived  from  the  wild  species  or  not,  but 
certain  it  is  that  the  domestic  hog  under  suitable  circumstances, 
betrays  wild  instincts.  Hogs  have  been  known  to  hunt 
rabbits  and  poultry  and  attack  lambs  when  temporarily  free 
from  restraint,  and  instances  have  been  recorded  in  which 
the  hog  has  attacked  and  killed  its  keeper.  The  hog  grows  to 
a  great  size,  the  measurements  of  one  belonging  to  Mr.  Lunton 
of  Bodmain  some  years  ajjo  being  nine  feet  in  length  and 


192  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

seven  feet  five  inches  in  girth.  Its  weight  was  eight  hundred 
and  fifteen  pounds.  These  limits  have,  however,  often  been 
exceeded,  a  hog  bred  in  Cheshire  measuring  nine  feet  eight 
inches  including  tail,  and  standing  four  feet  six  inches  in 
height.  This  animal  weighed  1,215  pounds  when  killed. 
Hampshire,  Wiltshire,  Berkshire,  and  Yorkshire  have  all  fine 
breeds  which  supply  the  larders  of  the  United  Kingdom  with 
prime  bacon.  The  sucking  pig  has  been  deemed  a  dainty 
dish  even  from  Roman  times.  The  babiroussa  belongs  to 
Bouru  and  Celebes,  and  is  gregarious.  Its  habits  are  similar 
to  those  of  the  wild  hog,  which  the  male  rivals  and  even 
surpasses  in  size.  It  has  tusks  attached  to  both  the  upper 
and  the  lower  jaw,  which  bend  backwards  with  a  graceful  curve. 
The  Peccary.  The  Peccary  belongs  to  South  America  where 
it  is  indigenous.  There  are  two  species,  the  Collared  Peccary 
and  the  White-lipped  Peccary.  The  collared  peccary  is  a 
timid,  inoffensive  animal  about  three  feet  long,  and  distin- 
guished by  white  bands  which  traverse  the  shoulders  and 
meet  at  the  neck.  They  associate  in  pairs  or  small  families 
and  live  in  holes  and  hollows.  The  white-lipped  peccary 
herds  in  large  numbers,  migrating  apparently  in  regular  order 
in  companies  sometimes  a  thousand  strong.  These  animals 
are  very  fierce  when  attacked,  and  the  hunter  has  little  chance 
of  escaping  them  unless  he  can  find  shelter  in  a  friendly 
tree.  Many  stories  are  told  of  hunters  who  have  sought 
such  asylum,  and  who  have  been  kept  treed  many  hours 
by  peccaries  who,  regardless  of  the  mortality  of  their  com- 
rades, have  lingered  round  the  trunk. 
The  Camel  and  The  history  of  the  Camel  carries  us  back 
the  Dromedary,  to  the  age  of  the  great  patriarchs,  and  gives 
him  some  claim  to  be  regarded  as  a  patriarch  himself.  He 
belongs  to  Egypt  and  Arabia,  where  he  is  indispensable  to  the 
desert  ranger,  and  where  no  longer  found  in  a  wild  state, 
he  takes  rank  as  a  domestic  animal.  His  uses  are  several. 
As  a  beast  of  burden  he  is  invaluable,  while  the  milk  of  the 


THE    CAMEL.  1 93 

female  serves  as  an  article  of  food,  the  surplus  wool  of  his 
body  as  a  material  for  rough  woven  cloth  and  his  dung  as 
excellent  fuel.  He  is  said  by  some  to  be  docile  and  affectionate 
and  by  others  to  be  dull  and  stupid,  though  harbouring  the 
spirit  of  revenge.  Probably  like  many  other  animals  he  will 
be  found  to  reciprocate  the  treatment  he  receives  in  kindness 
as  well  as  in  cruelty.  Some  confusion  exists  in  the  popular 
mind  as  to  distinctions  between  the  Camel  and  the  Dromedary, 
the  number  of  the  humps  being  said  to  differentiate  the  two. 
With  regard  to  this  Mr.  Palgrave  in  his  "  Travels  in  Central  and 
Eastern  Arabia  ",  says  : — "  The  camel  and  the  dromedary  in 
Arabia  are  the  same  identical  genus  and  creature,  excepting 
that  the  dromedary  is  a  high-bred  camel,  and  the  camel 
a  low-bred  dromedary;  exactly  the  distinction  which  exists 
between  a  race-horse  and  a  hack;  both  are  horses,  but  the 
one  of  blood  and  the  other  not.  The  dromedary  is  the  race 
horse  of  this  species,  thin,  elegant,  (or  comparatively  so)  fine 
haired,  light  of  step,  easy  of  pace,  and  much  more  enduring 
of  thirst  than  the  woolly,  thick-built,  heavy-footed,  ungainly 
and  jolting  camel.  But  both  and  each  of  them  have  only 
one  hump,  placed  immediately  behind  their  shoulders,  where 
it  serves  as  a  fixing  point  for  the  saddle  or  burden.  For 
the  two  humped  beast— it  exists,  indeed,  but  it  is  neither  an 
Arab  dromedary  nor  camel;  it  belongs  to  the  Persian  breed 
called  by  the  Arabs  'Bakhtee'  or  Bactrian." 
The  strength  Like  all  animals  in  their  native  lands  the  camel 
Endurance  s^ows  remarkable  adaptation  to  his  environment. 
of  the  Camel.  Water  is  scarce  in  the  desert,  so  the  ship  of  the 
desert,  as  he  has  been  poetically  called,  is  provided  with  a 
capacity  for  the  storage  of  the  precious  fluid  and  is  able  to 
take  in  a  several  days'  supply  at  one  time.  The  camel  is 
said  to  drink  "  fifty,  sixty,  or  even  a  hundred  pounds'  weight " 
of  water  at  one  time,  and  then  to  go  for  three  or  four  days 
without  a  fresh  supply.  Again  food  is  scarce  in  the  desert, 
and  the  herbage  of  a  very  coarse  kind,  but  the  camel  is  able 

13 


IQ4  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

to  do  with  remarkably  little  food,  if  his  size  and  the  weight 
of  his  burden  are  taken  into  consideration,  and  he  will  browse 
contentedly  upon  such  food  as  he  finds  by  the  wayside, 
supplemented  by  "  a  cake  of  barley,  a  few  dates,  or  beans " 
from  the  hands  of  his  master.  "  They  are  particularly  fond, " 
says  a  writer  in  "  Tales  of  Animals "  , "  of  those  vegetable 
productions,  which  other  animals  would  never  touch,  such 
as  plants  which  are  like  spears  and  daggers,  in  comparison 
with  the  needles  of  the  thistle,  and  which  often  pierce  the 
incautious  traveller's  boot."  A  camel  can  be  purchased  in 
Egypt  for  from  thirty  to  fifty  dollars,  though  the  high  bred 
dromedary  will  fetch  a  very  much  larger  sum.  The  camel 
will  carry  from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  pounds'  weight, 
but  will  not  stir  if  loaded  beyond  his  strength.  He  travels 
at  a  uniform  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour,  but  will  keep  on 
at  that  rate  for  ten  or  twelve  hours.  The  dromedary  attains 
to  a  speed  which  the  Arab  compares  to  the  speed  of  the 
wind. 

The  Camel  Mr.  Macfarlane  says,  "  I  have  been  told  that 
and  his  the  Arabs  will  kiss  their  Camels  in  gratitude  and 
as  er'  affection,  after  a  journey  across  the  desert.  I 
never  saw  the  Turks  either  of  Asia-Minor  or  Roumelia,  carry 
their  kindness  so  far  as  this ;  but  I  have  frequently  seen  them 
pat  their  Camels  when  the  day's  work  was  done,  and  talk  to  them 
on  their  journey,  as  if  to  cheer  them.  The  Camels  appeared 
to  me  quite  as  sensible  to  favour  and  gentle  treatment  as  a 
good  bred  horse  is.  I  have  seen  them  curve  and  twist  their 
long  lithe  necks  as  their  driver  approached,  and  often  put 
down  their  tranquil  heads  towards  his  shoulder.  Neai 
Smyrna,  and  at  Magnesia  and  Sardes,  I  have  occasionally 
seen  a  Camel  follow  his  master  like  a  pet  dog,  and  go  down 
on  his  knees  before  him,  as  if  inviting  him  to  mount.  I 
never  saw  a  Turk  ill  use  the  useful,  gentle,  amiable  quadruped. 
But  I  have  frequently  seen  him  give  it  a  portion  of  his  own 
dinner,  when,  in  unfavourable  places,  it  had  nothing  but 


THE    CAMEL.  195 

chopped  straw  to  eat  I  have  sometimes  seen  the  drivers 
on  a  hot  day,  or  in  passing  a  dry  district,  spirt  a  little 
water  in  the  Camel's  nostrils;  they  pretend  it  refreshes  them." 
Camel  Biding.  Camel  riding  is  evidently  an  exercise  which 
needs  getting  used  to.  Mrs.  Bowdich  says:  "High  saddles 
are  placed  on  their  backs;  and  it  requires  either  to  be  used 
to  them,  or  to  be  particularly  careful,  not  to  be  half-killed 
at  starting.  The  rider  places  himself  in  the  saddle  while 
the  animals  are  kneeling;  and  when  they  raise  their  hind- 
legs,  which  they  do  first  of  all,  they  send  the  unprepared 
traveller  forwards,  and  his  breath  is  almost  taken  out  of  him 
by  the  blow  which  he  receives  upon  his  chest ;  then  as  they 
»et  upon  their  fore-legs  they  throw  him  back,  so  as  to 
endanger  his  spine.  Their  pace  is  at  first  very  disagreeable, 
being  so  long  and  slouching." 

Captain  Riley  describes  his  experiences  as  follows:  "They 
placed  me  on  the  largest  Camel  I  had  yet  seen,  which  was 
nine  or  ten  feet  in  height.  The  Camels  were  now  all 
kneeling  or  lying  down,  and  mine  among  the  rest.  I  thought 
I  had  taken  a  good  hold,  to  steady  myself  while  he  was 
rising;  yet  his  motion  was  so  heavy,  and  my  strength  so  far 
exhausted,  that  I  could  not  possibly  hold  on,  and  tumbled 
off  over  his  tail.  Turning  entirely  over,  I  came  down  upon 
rcy  feet,  which  prevented  my  receiving  any  material  injury, 
though  the  shock  to  my  frame  was  very  severe." 
A  Camel's  Mr.  Palgrave  who  combats  the  idea  of  the 

Revenge,  camel's  docility,  unless  stupidity  may  be  taken 
as  its  synonym,  gives  a  painful  illustration  of  the  savagery  to 
which  the  camel  may  be  provoked  by  cruel  treatment,  though 
we  doubt  if  the  elephant  who  is  proverbial  for  his  docility 
would  stand  the  brutality  to  which  the  camel  is  sometimes 
treated.  "  A  lad  of  about  fourteen,  had  conducted  a  large 
camel  laden  with  wood  from  one  village  to  another,  half  an 
hour's  distance  or  so.  As  the  animal  loitered  or  turned  out 
of  the  way,  its  conductor  struck  it  repeatedly,  and  harder 


196  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE 

than  it  seems  to  have  thought  he  had  any  right  to  do,  but 
not  finding  the  occasion  favourable  for  taking  immediate 
quits,  it  'bode  its  time',  nor  was  that  time  long  in  coming. 
A  few  days  later  the  same  lad  had  to  re-conduct  the  beast, 
but  unladen,  to  his  own  village.  When  they  were  about 
half  way  on  the  road,  and  at  some  distance  from  any 
habitation,  the  camel  suddenly  stopped,  looked  deliberately 
round  in  every  direction,  to  assure  itself  that  no  one  was  in 
sight,  made  a  step  forward,  seized  the  unlucky  boy's  head 
in  his  monstrous  mouth,  and  lifting  him  up  in  the  air,  flung 
him  down  again  upon  the  earth  with  the  upper  part  of  his 
skull  completely  torn  off,  and  his  brains  scattered  on  the 
ground.  Having  thus  satisfied  his  revenge,  the  brute  quietly 
resumed  his  pace  towards  the  village  as  though  nothing 
were  the  matter,  till  some  men,  who  had  observed  the  whole, 
though  unfortunately  at  too  great  a  distance  to  be  able  to 
afford  timely  help,  came  up  and  killed  it." 
The  Tarrora  Terrible  stories  are  told  of  the  sufferings  some- 
of  the  Desert,  times  experienced  by  camels  and  Arabs  alike 
on  desert  journeys.  Burckhardt  gives  the  following  narrative 
which  is  quoted  by  Captain  Brown.  "In  the  month  of 
August,  a  small  caravan  prepared  to  set  out  from  Berber  to 
Daraou.  They  consisted  of  five  merchants  and  about  thirty 
slaves,  with  a  proportionate  number  of  camels.  Afraid  of 
the  robber  Naym,  who  at  that  time  was  in  the  habit  of  way- 
laying travellers  about  the  wells  of  Nedjeym,  and  who  had 
constant  intelligence  of  the  departure  of  every  caravan  from 
Berber,  they  determined  to  take  a  more  easterly  road,  by 
the  well  of  Owareyk.  They  had  hired  an  Ababde  guide,  who 
conducted  them  in  safety  to  that  place,  but  who  lost  his  way 
from  thence  northward,  the  route  being  little  frequented. 
After  five  days'  march  in  the  mountains,  their  stock  of  water 
was  exhausted,  nor  did  they  know  where  they  were.  They 
resolved,  therefore,  to  direct  their  course  towards  the  setting 
sun,  hoping  thus  to  reach  the  Nile  After  experiencing  two 


THE    CAMEL.  197 

days'  thirst,  fifteen  slaves  and  one  of  the  merchants  died; 
another  of  them,  an  Ababde,  who  had  ten  camels  with  him, 
thinking  that  the  animals  might  know  better  than  their  mas- 
ters where  water  was  to  be  found,  desired  his  comrades  to 
tie  him  fast  upon  the  saddle  of  his  strongest  camel,  that  he 
might  not  fall  down  from  weakness,  and  thus  he  parted  from 
them,  permitting  his  camels  to  take  their  own  way;  but 
neither  the  man  nor  his  camels  were  ever  heard  of  afterwards. 
On  the  eighth  day  after  leaving  Owareyk,  the  survivors  came 
in  sight  of  the  mountains  of  Shigre,  which  they  immediately 
recognized;  but  their  strength  was  quite  exhausted,  and 
neither  men  nor  beasts  were  able  to  move  any  farther. 
Lying  down  under  a  rock,  they  sent  two  of  their  servants, 
with  the  two  strongest  remaining  camels,  in  search  of  water. 
Before  these  two  men  could  reach  the  mountain,  one  of  them 
dropped  off  his  camel,  deprived  of  speech,  and  able  only  to 
move  his  hands  to  his  comrade  as  a  sign  that  he  desired  to 
be  left  to  his  fate.  The  survivor  then  continued  his  route; 
but  such  was  the  effect  of  thirst  upon  him,  that  his  eyes  grew 
dim,  and  he  lost  the  road,  though  he  had  often  travelled 
over  it  before,  and  had  been  perfectly  acquainted  with  it. 
Having  wandered  about  for  a  long  time,  he  alighted  under 
the  shade  of  a  tree,  and  tied  the  camel  to  one  of  its 
branches :  the  beast,  however,  smelt  the  water,  (as  the  Arabs 
express  it)  and,  wearied  as  it  was,  broke  its  halter,  and  set 
off  galloping  in  the  direction  of  the  spring,  which,  as  after- 
wards appeared,  was  at  half  an  hour's  distance.  The  man, 
well  understanding  the  camel's  action,  endeavoured  to  follow 
its  footsteps,  but  could  only  move  a  few  yards;  he  fell  ex- 
hausted on  the  ground,  and  was  about  to  breathe  his  last, 
when  Providence  led  that  way  from  a  neighbouring  encamp- 
ment, a  Bisharye  Bedouin,  who,  by  throwing  water  upon 
the  man's  face,  restored  him  to  his  senses.  They  then 
went  hastily  together  to  the  water,  filled  the  skins,  and, 
returning  to  the  caravan,  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  the 


198  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

sufferers  still  alive.    The  Bisharye   received  a  slave  for  his 
trouble." 

The  Llama.  The  Llamas  are  classified  as  members  of  the 
Camel  Family  of  which  they  are  the  second  genus.  The 
Vicuna  (Llama  vicugna]  of  the  Peruvian  Andes  is  one  of 
these.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  animal,  combining,  as  Professor 
Cunningham  points  out,  to  some  extent  the  characteristics  of 
the  camel,  the  deer  and  the  goat.  Its  neck  is  long  and  slender 
and  carried  with  a  graceful  curve,  and  its  legs  are  slight  and 
elegant,  its  wool  fine  and  silky.  It  is  a  timid  animal  and 
very  wary  of  the  approach  of  danger,  seeking  safety  in  flight, 
though  often  falling  a  victim  to  the  rapacity  of  the  puma, 
or  the  necessities  of  the  Patagonian  Indians,  who  eat  its  flesh 
and  clothe  themselves  in  its  skin.  The  Llama,  (Llama 
peruand)  and  the  Alpaca  (Llama  pacos)  are  other  species  of 
this  family.  The  former  is  used  by  the  Peruvians  as  a  beast 
of  burden,  as  it  will  carry  from  a  hundred-weight  to  a  hundred 
weight  and  a  half  for  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a  day.  Accord- 
ing to  Mrs.  Bowdich,  at  one  time  300,000  of  these  animals 
were  employed  in  carrying  metal  over  the  rugged  mountain 
passes  for  the  Potosi  mines  alone.  Like  the  camel,  it  refuses 
to  stir  when  overloaded,  and  continues  to  move  at  a  slow 
uniform  pace  throughout  the  day.  Like  camels  also,  they  are 
apt  to  fight  among  themselves,  when  the  wool  flies  in  an 
absurd  way,  and  if  not  separated,  they  do  each  other  serious 
injury.  When  offended  with  their  driver  they  spit  in  his  face, 
their  saliva  being  particularly  unpleasant.  The  Alpaca  which 
is  also  domesticated  is  useful  for  its  fleece. 

The  Deer.  There  are  two  families  of  Deer ;  that  of  the 
Mouse  deer  with  its  mouse-shaped  head,  and  without  horns, 
and  that  of  the  deer  proper  of  which  there  are  more  than 
fifty  species.  There  are  five  species  of  the  mouse  deer, 
genus  Tragulus,  all  of  which  belong  to  Asia.  They  are  found 
in  Java,  Penang,  Sumatra,  Borneo,  Cambodia  and  Siam. 
The  Indian  Chevrotain  (Tragulus  meminnd)  is  spotted.  It 


THE  DEER.  199 

belongs  to  Ceylon,  though  it  is  said  to  be  common  to  the 
forests  of  all  parts  of  southern  India.  Mrs.  Bowdich  says: 
"The  smallest  of  the  deer  species  lives  in  Ceylon;  a  lovely 
delicate  creature,  with  lustrous  eyes  and  of  exquisite  form. 
When  full  grown  it  is  only  ten  inches  high,  fourteen  long, 
and  weighs  about  five  pounds.  Its  throat,  head  and  neck  are 
all  white;  its  body  is  grey,  striped  with  black,  and  spotted 
at  equal  distances  with  yellow.  Although  very  timid  it  is  to 
be  tamed;  but  if  angry  it  kicks  out  its  little  hind  legs  and 
slender  pointed  hoofs  with  great  violence.  One  which  was 
domesticated,  was  placed  on  a  dinner  table,  where  it  ran 
about  and  nibbled  fruit  from  the  dishes,  answered  to  its 
name  and  returned  the  caresses  which  were  bestowed  upon 
it."  The  deer  proper,  genus  cervus,  is  found  all  over  Europe, 
Asia  and  America,  one  or  two  species  belonging  to  the  Medi- 
terranean coasts  of  Africa.  Of  these  the  Red  Deer,  the 
Reindeer,  the  Moose  or  Elk,  the  Fallow  Deer  and  the  Roe 
buck  are  the  better  known  species,  all  of  which  chew  the 
cud,  have  a  divided  hoof,  and  shed  their  horns  annually. 
The  Red  The  Red  Deer  (Cervus  elaphus)  is  still  found 
Deer.  \&  Scotland  as  well  as  in  the  forests  of  Europe 
and  Asia  and  is  commonly  hunted  for  sport.  The  stag  is  a 
timid  and  apparently  highly  sensitive  animal,  but  when  brought 
to  bay  has  often  shown  a  strength  and  courage  which  has 
cost  its  hunters  dear.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  animals 
in  nature,  and  combines  with  its  beauty  powers  of  speed  and 
endurance  which  are  little  short  of  the  marvellous.  Full  grown 
it  measures  four  feet  six  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulders, 
and  about  five  feet  six  inches  in  length.  The  hunting  of  the 
stag  in  England  has  been  a  royal  sport  for  centuries,  though 
owing  to  altered  conditions  it  has  fallen  into  disrepute  of  late 
years.  The  overcrowded  state  of  the  country  near  London, 
and  the  half  tame  character  of  the  royal  stags  have  rendered 
the  performances  of  the  Windsor  stag  hounds  an  exhibition 
more  honoured  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance.  It 


200  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

would  be  difficult  indeed  to  find  anything  noble  or  enobling 
in  the  following  account  of  a  stag  hunt  quoted  by  Captain 
Brown  with  deprecation,  from  the  pages  of  "The  Sporting 
Magazine." 

A  Stag  "On  Monday  Nov.  20,  1820,  the  royal  hounds  met 
Hunt.  at  Stoke  Common,  Bucks,  where  a  remarkably  fine 
deer  was  turned  out.  The  field  was  extremely  numerous. 
The  deer,  at  starting,  showed  great  sport,  taking,  at  full 
speed,  through  the  enclosures,  making  towards  Slough,  and 
afterwards  for  Datchet,  where  he  crossed  the  Thames,  and 
then  took  to  the  right,  and  again  crossed  the  river.  The 
deer  proceeded  up  a  lane  at  the  back  of  Eton  College,  run- 
ning with  great  swiftness  into  the  yard  of  Mr.  Castles,  pork 
butcher.  He  boldly  proceeded  through  the  house  into  the 
street,  with  a  cur-dog  at  his  heels;  and  crossing  Windsor 
Bridge,  to  the  bottom  of  Thames-street,  actually  ran  up  the 
Hundred  Steps,  a  steep  and  winding  ascent  to  the  Castle.  On 
his  reaching  the  top,  he  made  a  pause,  and  then  returned  into 
Thames-street,  many  of  the  sportsmen  having  rode  round  into 
the  Castle,  with  the  object  of  heading  him  as  he  came  up  the 
steps.  The  stag  crossed  Windsor  Bridge  again  with  great 
swiftness,  and  passed  down  Eton,  entered  the  shop  of  Mr. 
Levy,  an  orange  merchant,  making  his  way  in  different  parts 
of  the  house,  till  he  got  into  the  kitchen,  where  he  remained 
some  time :  a  great  crowd  was  collected  round  the  house. 
On  his  leaving  the  kitchen,  he  passed  through  the  back  way 
into  gardens.  At  this  time,  many  hundreds  of  persons  joined 
in  the  chase.  This  excellent  deer,  after  having  performed 
these  extraordinary  feats,  and  afforded  a  charming  day's  spcrt, 
was  at  last  taken  in  attempting  to  leap  over  the  high  wall 
between  Eton  College  and  the  Fifteen-arch  Bridge."  In  the 
open  country  and  in  the  olden  time  a  stag  hunt  was,  of 
course,  a  very  different  thing,  though  the  hunting  of  so  sen- 
sitive and  so  timid  an  animal  as  the  stag  could  never  be 
other  than  a  cruel  pastime.  Of  the  speed  and  endurance  of 


THE  STAG.  201 

the  stag  a  remarkable  illustration  will  be  found  on  page  127. 
Many  years  ago  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  thought  to  make 
trial  of  a  stag's  courage  by  placing  him  in  an  enclosure  with 
an  ounce,  or  hunting  tiger,  on  Newmarket  Heath.  The 
enclosure  was  made  by  a  net-work  of  about  fifteen  feet  high, 
and  the  contest  took  place  in  the  presence  of  some  thousands 
of  spectators.  On  seeing  the  stag,  the  ounce  crouched  down 
and  prepared  to  spring,  but  the  stag  kept  such  a  steady 
front  that  the  ounce,  turn  as  he  would,  was  out-manoeuvred 
by  the  stag  and  could  not  get  a  chance  of  turning  his  flank. 
After  a  long  time  the  ounce  was  goaded  to  the  attack  by  the 
order  of  the  Duke,  whereupon  it  leapt,  not  upon  the  stag 
but  over  the  enclosure  and  among  the  people,  immediately 
crossing  the  road  and  entering  the  wood  opposite,  where  it 
fastened  upon  the  haunches  of  a  fallow  deer. 

The  Tame  Stags  have  been  tamed  and  brought  largely 
Stag.  under  control  but  they  are  said  to  be  uncertain 
in  their  temper,  probably  from  their  timidity.  Many  years 
ago  Lord  Oxford  trained  four  red  deer  stags  to  draw  a 
phaeton,  and  Captain  Brown  tells  an  amusing  story  of  an 
adventure  which  befell  him  while  driving  his  unique  team  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Newmarket.  It  happened  that  as  they 
were  proceeding  on  the  road  to  Newmarket  they  heard  the 
cry  of  a  pack  of  hounds  and  immediately  the  four  stags 
made  off  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  followed  by  the  hounds 
who  had  sighted  them  or  scented  them  from  a  distance. 
The  animals  were  quite  beyond  control,  but  on  reaching 
Newmarket,  they  ran  into  the  yard  of  the  Ram  Inn  where 
Lord  Oxford  had  been  accustomed  to  take  them,  and  they 
were  safely  housed  in  a  barn  when  the  pack  of  hounds 
came  up.  Stags  have  also  been  trained  to  play  tricks  of 
various  kinds.  A  tame  stag  at  one  time  marched  with  a 
Newfoundland  dog,  with  the  band  of  the  42nd  Highlanders. 

The  Beindeer.  The  Reindeer  belongs  to  the  north  of  Europe 
Asia  and  America,  where  he  is  the  chief  source  of  comfort 


202  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  wealth  of  the  natives.  In  Lapland,  as  the  author  of 
"  Tales  of  Animals  "  puts  it,  he  supplies  the  place  of  the  horse, 
the  cow,  the  sheep,  and  the  goat.  "  Alive  and  dead,  the  rein- 
deer is  equally  subservient  to  their  wants.  When  he  ceases 
to  exist,  spoons  are  made  of  his  bones,  glue  of  his  horns, 
bowstrings  and  thread  of  his  tendons,  clothing  of  his  skin, 
and  his  flesh  becomes  a  savoury  food.  During  his  life,  his 
milk  is  converted  into  cheese,  and  he  is  employed  to  convey 
his  owner  over  the  snowy  wastes  of  his  native  country.  Such 
is  the  swiftness  of  the  reindeer  that  two  of  them,  yoked  in 
a  sledge,  will  travel  a  hundred  and  twelve  English  miles  in 
a  day."  The  reindeer  will  draw  about  300  Ibs.  weight,  though 
250  Ibs.  is  a  sufficient  average  load.  His  ordinary  pace  is 
said  to  be  about  ten  miles  an  hour  and  his  powers  of  endur- 
ance are  very  great.  His  pace  for  a  short  distance  is  thus 
given  by  Pictet,  who  took  the  measurements  and  tested  the 
speed  of  three  animals  yoked  to  light  sledges.  "The  first 
deer  performed  3089  feet,  9  inches,  in  two  minutes,  being 
at  the  rate  of  nearly  19  English  miles  in  an  hour,  and  thus 
accomplishing  25  feet,  9  inches,  in  every  second.  The  second 
did  the  same  in  three  minutes ;  and  the  third  and  last  deer, 
in  three  minutes  and  twenty-six  seconds.  The  ground  in  this 
race  was  nearly  level. "  The  reindeer  is  gregarious  in  its 
wild  state,  and  retains  its  social  instinct  when  in  a  state  of 
domestication.  When  travelling,  the  hindmost  annuals  follow 
their  leader  with  dogged  persistency,  even  though  the  leader 
may  make  a  circuit  which  the  followers  might  avoid  by  taking 
a  direct  cut.  Nor  will  they  accept  the  guidance  of  their  drivers 
in  such  cases  and  if  dragged  out  of  their  course  by  main  force 
will  return  to  it  as  soon  as  the  force  is  removed.  In  his  own 
way,  however,  the  reindeer  will  follow  unerringly  though  his 
leader  may  be  out  of  sight,  moving  along  with  his  nose  close  to 
the  ground  and  tracing  the  way  by  his  scent,  which  is  very  keen. 
The  reindeer  is  much  troubled  in  the  summer  time  by  the 
attacks  of  small  flies.  De  Broke  says,  "  The  poor  animal  is  thus 


THE  REINDEER.  203 

tormented  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  Laplander,  if  he  were 
to  remain  in  the  forests  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  and 
August,  would  run  the  risk  of  losing  the  greater  part  of  his 
herd,  either  by  actual  sickness,  or  from  the  deer  fleeing  of  their 
own  accord  to  mountainous  situations  to  escape  the  gad-fly. 
From  these  causes,  the  Laplander  is  driven  from  the  forests  to 
the  mountains  that  overhang  the  Norway  and  Lapland  coasts, 
the  elevated  situations  of  which,  and  the  cool  breezes  from 
the  Ocean,  are  unfavourable  to  the  existence  of  these  trouble- 
some insects,  which,  though  found  on  the  coast,  are  in  far 
less  considerable  numbers  there,  and  do  not  quit  the  valleys ; 
so  that  the  deer,  by  ascending  the  highlands,  can  avoid 
them."  Reindeer  are  extremely  timid  when  hunted,  but  if 
the  hunter  can  get  sufficiently  near  to  strike  panic  into  a  herd 
they  seem  to  lose  all  sense  but  that  of  fear,  and  are  easily 
captured  in  numbers.  Writing  of  the  North  American  Rein- 
deer, Sir  John  Richardson  says: — "The  Chippewayans,  the 
Copper  Indians,  the  Dog-ribs,  and  Hare  Indians  of  the  Great 
Bear  Lake,  would  be  totally  unable  to  inhabit  their  barren 
grounds,  were  it  not  for  the  immense  herds  of  this  deer  that 
exist  there.  Of  the  caribou  horns  they  form  their  fish  spears 
and  hooks ;  the  hide,  dressed  with  the  fur  on,  is  excellent 
for  winter  clothing,  and  supplies  the  place  both  of  blanket 
and  feather  bed  to  the  inhabitants  of  these  arctic  wilds." 
Captain  Franklin  gives  the  following  description  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Dog-rib  Indians  kill  the  reindeer.  "The 
hunters  go  in  pairs,  the  foremost  man  carrying  in  one  hand 
the  horns  and  part  of  the  skin  of  the  head  of  a  deer,  and 
in  the  other  a  small  bundle  of  twigs,  against  which  he,  from 
time  to  time,  rubs  the  horns,  imitating  the  gestures  peculiar 
to  the  animal.  His  comrade  follows,  treading  exactly  in  his 
footsteps,  and  holding  the  guns  of  both  in  a  horizontal  posi- 
tion, so  that  the  muzzles  project  under  the  arms  of  him  who 
carries  the  head.  Both  hunters  have  a  fillet  of  white  skin 
round  their  foreheads,  and  the  foremost  has  a  strip  of  the 


204  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

same  round  his  wrists.  They  approach  the  herd  by  degrees, 
raising  their  legs  very  slowly,  but  setting  them  down  somewhat 
suddenly,  after  the  manner  of  a  deer,  and  always  taking  care 
to  lift  their  right  or  left  feet  simultaneously.  If  any  of  the 
herd  leave  off  feeding  to  gaze  upon  this  extraordinary  phe- 
nomenon, it  instantly  stops,  and  the  head  begins  to  play  its 
part  by  licking  its  shoulders,  and  performing  other  necessary 
movements.  In  this  way  the  hunters  attain  the  very  centre 
of  the  herd  without  exciting  suspicion,  and  have  leisure  to 
single  out  the  fattest.  The  hindmost  man  then  pushes  for- 
ward his  comrade's  gun,  the  head  is  dropped,  and  they  both 
fire  nearly  at  the  same  instant." 

The  Moose  The  Moose  or  Elk  is  the  largest  of  the  Deer 
or  Elk.  kind,  and  often  attains  to  and  even  exceeds  the 
size  and  bulk  of  the  largest  horses.  He  is  less  graceful 
than  other  members  of  his  family,  having  a  short  thick  neck, 
necessary  perhaps  to  sustain  his  huge  antlers,  which  some- 
times reach  five  feet  in  length  and  weigh  as  much  as  sixty 
pounds.  He  escapes  the  torment  of  insects  by  taking  to  the 
water,  in  which  he  is  an  expert  swimmer.  Like  the  other 
animals  of  the  Deer  kind  he  sheds  his  horns  annually.  Year 
by  year  these  huge  growths  increase  in  breadth  and  in  the 
number  of  branches  they  bear,  until  there  are  sometimes  as 
many  as  twenty  on  each  horn.  He  is  docile  and  easily 
tamed,  and  has  been  broken  to  run  in  harness.  The  Elk 
occupies  much  the  same  geographical  area  as  the  reindeer, 
though  not  travelling  so  far  north. 

The  Fallow  The  Fallow  Deer  (Dama  vulgaris)  is  smaller 
Deer  and  the  than  the  stag,  but  similar  to  it  in  colour,  form, 
06  uc  '  and  habit.  It  is  this  species  which  is  domesti- 
cated and  kept  in  the  parks  of  the  wealthy  in  England. 
Fallow  Deer  often  quarrel  among  themselves  over  rights  of 
pasturage,  the  herd  dividing  into  two  and  engaging  in  a  pitched 
battle  for  the  possession  of  the  disputed  land.  The  Roebuck 
is  smaller  than  the  Fallow  Deer,  his  height  being  about  two 


THE  GIRAFFE.  205 

feet  six  inches  and  his  length  three  feet.  He  is  less  sociable 
than  other  species  of  his  kind,  living  alone  with  his  family 
and  not  in  herds  like  the  Fallow  Deer.  He  is  found  in  Scot- 
land and  in  the  northern  parts  of  Europe. 

The  Giraffe.  The  Giraffe  (Camelopardalis  giraffd)  belongs 
to  Abyssinia,  Nubia  and  South-Africa.  It  is  the  tallest  ot 
living  animals,  attaining  to  the  height  of  eighteen  feet.  Its 
body  has  some  similarity  to  that  of  the  camel  in  form,  and 
its  head,  which  surmounts  a  neck  seven  feet  long  and  bears 
two  horns  six  inches  long,  resembles  generally  that  of  a  horse. 
Its  tongue,  which  can  be  extended  seventeen  inches,  is  very 
mobile  and  can  be  so  tapered  as  to  enter  a  small  ring.  It 
is  used  in  tearing  off  the  foliage  of  the  trees  upon  which  the 
animal  feeds.  Its  neck,  but  for  its  length,  is  like  that  of  the 
stag,  and  its  legs  are  slender.  The  hide  is  spotted  like  that 
of  the  leopard  and  when  young  is  of  a  light  red  colour,  which 
becomes  deeper  with  age,  that  of  the  female  becoming  a 
yellow  brown  and  that  of  the  male  a  dark  brown  approaching 
to  black.  In  repose  it  lies  on  its  side,  resting  its  head  on 
its  hind  quarters.  Though  only  living  in  a  wild  state,  the 
Giraffe  is  a  mild  and  docile  animal,  only  fighting  in  self- 
defence,  and  then  making  powerful  use  of  its  heels.  The 
lion  is  its  great  enemy  and  if  it  succeeds  in  leaping  upon  its 
back  there  is  not  much  chance  for  the  giraffe,  which  usually 
runs  until  it  drops  from  exhaustion.  A  blow  from  the  heel 
of  the  Giraffe  in  the  right  place  would  probably  kill  any  of 
its  enemies,  and  even  the  lion  has  been  known  to  pay  dearly 
for  coming  within  its  reach. 

The  History  The  Giraffe  was  known  to  the  ancients,  though, 
of  the  Giraffe.  iike  the  gorilla,  it  has  been  re-discovered  in 
recent  years.  Le  Vaillant  saw  and  described  the  giraffe,  but 
he  was  credited  with  having  invented  it,  and  it  was  not 
until  a  live  specimen  of  it  was  brought  to  Paris  that  his 
credibility  was  established.  Mrs.  Bowdich,  who  happened  to 
be  in  Paris  at  the  time  this  animal  arrived,  gives  an  amusing 


206  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

description  of  its  triumphal  march  from  Bordeaux  to  the  Capital 
"  A  deputation  from  each  large  town  through  which  she  passed," 
says  Mrs.  Bowdich,  "formed  of  the  municipal  authorities, 
met  her;  and  one  of  the  most  learned  savants  went  all  the 
way  from  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  to  accompany  her  on 
her  march.  'La  giraffe,'  however,  did  not  appreciate  these 
honours,  and  was  often  impatient  under  the  etiquette  imposed 
on  her.  On  one  occasion  she  broke  loose  from  her  cavalcade, 
keeper  and  all,  and  dashing  among  the  horsemen,  scattered 
them  right  and  left,  some  on  and  some  off  their  steeds.  A 
dignified  mayor  lay  in  the  dust,  and  by  his  side  rolled  the 
painstaking  savant  who  had  performed  so  long  a  journey  in 
her  service.  The  enthusiasm  did  not  abate  when  she  reached 
her  destination.  Thirteen  thousand  more  than  the  usual 
weekly  number  passed  over  the  Pont  d'Austerlitz  alone;  and 
as  the  public  curiosity  did  not  but  increase  for  six  weeks, 
steps  were  obliged  to  be  taken  to  prevent  the  multitude  from 
pressing  upon  her.  Her  love  for  roses  was  very  great;  and 
she  eagerly  snatched  them  from  those  who  carried  or  wore 
them,  to  their  great  astonishment ;  for  few  could  calculate  on 
the  distance  which  she  could  reach."  Mr.  Gordon  Gumming 
describes  a  herd  of  ten  giraffes  which  he  saw  moving  together 
along  an  African  valley,  forming  an  imposing  spectacle. 
Hollow-  ^e  come  now  to  a  family  of  great  importance 
Horned  to  the  human  race,  the  family  which  includes 
Buminants.  among  its  members  the  Ox  and  the  Sheep. 
These  are  grouped  as  hollow-horned  ruminants,  this  one 
touch  of  nature  making  the  whole  family  kin.  The  hollow- 
horned  ruminants  are  divided  into  numerous  sub-families, 
of  which  the  Ox,  the  Antelope,  the  Sheep,  and  the  Goat  are 
.the  best  known  representatives.  The  horn  by  which  the 
family  is  characterised,  comprises  a  hollow  horny  sheath  which 
covers  a  bony  core,  and  which,  except  in  one  case,  unlike 
the  horns  of  the  stag,  which  are  shed  annually,  is  permanent 
Sir  Victor  Brooke  divides  the  family  of  the  Bovidae  into 


MILES'   NATURAL  HISTORY. 


THE  BULL.  207 

thirteen  sub-families.  I  Bovinae,  II  Tragelaphin<£,  III  Oryginae, 
IV  Hippotraginae,  V  Gazellinae,  VI  Antilocaprinse,  VII  Cer- 
vicaprinse,  VIII  Cephalophinaa,  IX  Alcephalinae,  X  Budorcinse, 
XI  Rupicaprinae,  XII  Nemorhedinae,  XIII  Caprinse. 

The  Bull,  The  sub-family  Bovinae  includes  the  Bull,  the 
ean"°n'  Bison,  and  the  Buffalo.  The  antiquity  of  the 
The  Buffalo,  ruminants  shrouds  their  origin  in  obscurity.  They 
are  of  frequent  mention  in  the  sacred  writings  as  belonging 
to  the  earliest  historic  period,  and  as  living  hi  a  state  of 
domestication  hi  all  times.  The  Bull  has  a  very  wide  geo- 
graphical area,  and  is  found  in  most  parts  of  the  world.  In 
England,  as  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  puts  it,  there  are  almost 
as  many  breeds  as  counties,  and  they  are  generally  distin- 
guished by  the  length  or  shape  of  their  horns.  The  "long- 
horned  "  breed  belong  to  Lancashire,  the  "  short-horned  " 
to  Durham,  the  "middle-horned"  to  Devonshire,  besides 
which  there  is  the  "  polled",  a  hornless  breed.  Of  the  Bison 
there  are  two  species,  one  belonging  to  Poland  and  the  Cau- 
casus, and  the  other  to  North  America.  The  Buffalo  belongs 
to  the  south  of  Europe,  to  India,  and  to  North  Africa, 
the  Cape  Buffalo  inhabiting  the  south  of  "the  dark  conti- 
nent." 

The  BulL  Few  animals  show  as  much  difference  of  dis- 
The  Ox.  position  in  the  male  and  female  as  the  Bull 

The  Cow.  un. 


governable  fury,  is  generally  unsafe  and  often  dangerous. 
These  characteristics  have  doubtless  marked  him  out  as  the 
object  of  sport  hi  the  Roman  Amphitheatre  and  the  Spanish 
Bull  fight.  The  Cow,  on  the  other  hand,  displays  a  gentle 
and  docile  disposition,  is  placid,  mild,  and  obedient  to  the 
will  of  those  who  govern  it.  The  Bull  is  kept  mainly  for  the 
purposes  of  breeding,  being  too  uncertain  for  use  as  a  beast 
of  burden  or  for  other  employment.  The  Ox  which  is  the 
subdued  offspring  of  the  Bull  and  the  Cow,  is  much  more 
amenable  to  control  and  therefore  a  much  more  useful 


208  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

servant  to  man.  The  Cow  is  invaluable  for  the  milk  it  sup- 
plies, upon  which  mankind  is  dependent  for  butter  and  for 
cheese. 

The  Bull  The  Bull  is  a  handsome  animal  and  of  great 
strength,  especially  about  the  head  and  neck.  Its  fierceness 
has  often  been  turned  to  account  by  the  fanner,  for  it  is  an 
excellent  animal  to  dispute  a  right  of  way,  the  force  of  its 
arguments  usually  bearing  down  all  opposition.  It  has  been 
known  also  to  use  its  strength  for  the  protection  of  other 
animals.  "  Two  robbers,"  says  the  author  of  "  Domestic  Animals 
and  their  Treatment,"  "took  a  pig,  weighing  fourteen  stone,  out 
of  its  sty,  and  drove  it  along  a  lane  leading  towards  Rother- 
ham.  On  coming  to  a  lonely  path  across  the  fields  they 
thought  it  would  be  better  to  kill  the  pig  at  once  in  this 
quiet  place,  where  no  one  would  be  likely  to  hear  the  cries 
of  the  animal.  One  of  the  robbers  accordingly  took  a  knife 
out  of  his  pocket,  and  commenced  cutting  the  pig's  throat. 
The  poor  pig  struggled  violently,  and  managed  to  escape 
from  his  hands,  running  squealing  into  the  next  field,  with 
a  fearful  gash  in  his  throat.  The  men  ran  after  the  pig,  but 
found  in  the  field  a  bull  grazing,  who  seemed  at  once  to 
understand  the  state  of  the  case,  and  took  upon  himself  the 
championship  of  the  wounded  animal.  The  bull  ran  furiously 
at  the  robbers,  who  fled  for  their  lives,  and  only  just  managed 
to  escape  a  toss  from  his  horns.  They  lingered  outside  the 
fence,  however,  hoping  that  an  opportunity  would  still  offer 
of  their  catching  the  pig;  but  the  pig  wisely  kept  close  to 
his  new  friend,  and  the  men  at  last  were  under  the  mortify- 
ing necessity  of  going  home  without  their  booty.  These  men 
were  afterwards  convicted  of  stealing  sheep  and  corn,  when 
one  of  them  confessed  this  affair  of  the  pig,  and  thus  ex- 
plained what  had  been  a  great  mystery  to  the  owner,  namely, 
how  it  was  that  his  pig  came  to  be  in  a  field  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  sty,  with  his  throat  partly  cut,  and  keeping 
close  company  with  the  bull."  Mr.  Byam's  "  Central  America" 


THE  BULL.  209 

affords  another  illustration :  "  A  bull  had  gored  so  many  cattle 
that  he  was  lassoed,  and  his  horns  blunted  at  the  tips  to 
prevent  further  mischief.  A  few  weeks  after,  a  panther  (jaguar) 
killed  a  cow ;  and  from  the  torn  condition  of  the  bull's  head 
and  neck,  and  the  trampled  state  of  the  ground,  he  had 
evidently  done  battle  for  the  cow.  He  was  secured,  his  wounds 
plastered  up,  his  horns  made  sharp  again,  and  turned  out 
into  the  savannah.  The  wild  dogs  and  vultures  having  been 
kept  from  the  body  of  the  cow  during  the  day,  the  panther 
returned  to  his  feast  at  night,  and  a  furious  engagement  took 
place  between  him  and  the  bull;  for  the  former  was  found 
dead  close  by  the  cow  the  next  morning,  pierced  through 
and  through.  The  bull  returned  again  and  again  to  him  with 
fury,  and  was  himself  again  wounded;  but  his  gashes  were 
sown  up,  and  he  remained  so  fierce  that  his  horns  were 
obliged  to  be  re-blunted." 

The  Brahmin  The  Brahmin  Bull  of  India,  is  a  sleek,  tame 
Bull.  animal  of  a  different  species  to  the  ordinary 
working  ox.  He  is  protected  as  sacred  and  allowed  more 
liberty  than  is  sometimes  either  convenient  or  pleasant,  as  he 
is  apt  to  become  obtrusive  and  his  devotees  fear  to  check 
or  thwart  him.  Sacred  as  he  is  he  does  not  believe  in  the 
eighth  commandment  and  so  helps  himself  without  scruple  to  the 
wares  of  the  fruiterer  and  the  gardener's  preserves. 

The  Ox.  The  Ox  is  one  of  the  most  useful  creatures  of 
the  animal  world.  It  is  used  as  a  beast  of  burden  and  employed 
to  draw  waggons  and  to  drag  the  plough  in  England,  and  in 
a  variety  of  useful  labours  abroad.  "Every  part  of  the  Ox 
is  of  value,"  says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood.  "We  eat  his  flesh, 
we  wear  shoes  soled  with  his  skin,  our  candles  are  made 
from  his  fat,  our  tables  are  joined  with  glue  made  from  his 
hoofs,  his  hair  is  mixed  with  the  mortar  of  our  walls,  his 
horns  are  made  into  combs,  knife-handles,  drinking-cups,  etc., 
etc.,  his  bones  are  used  as  a  cheap  substitute  for  Ivory,  and 
the  fragments  ground  and  scattered  over  the  fields  as  manure, 

14 


210  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  soup  is  made  from  his  tail."  The  value  of  the  Ox  in 
drawing  waggons  abroad  may  be  gathered  from  the  following 
quotation  from  Mr.  Gordon  Cumming's  "  Hunting  Adventures 
in  South  Africa."  "  They  (the  oxen)  are  expected,  unguided 
by  reins,  to  hold  the  rare-trodden  roads,  which  occur  through- 
out the  remoter  parts  of  the  Colony,  either  by  day  or  night; 
and  so  well  trained  are  these  sagacious  animals,  that  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  meet  with  a  pair  of  fore- oxen  which  will, 
of  their  own  accord,  hold  the  "  spoor "  or  track  of  a  single 
waggon,  which  has  perhaps  crossed  a  plain  six  months  pre- 
viously." 

The  Cow.  The  Cow  after  supplying  enormous  quantities 
of  milk  during  life  is  almost  as  valuable  as  the  Ox  when 
dead.  It  is  from  the  Cow  moreover  that  we  get  the  lymph 
used  in  vaccination,  which  has  proved  such  a  wonderful 
safeguard  against  small-pox.  In  its  quiet  way  the  Cow  some- 
times shows  sagacity.  Mr.  Bell  gives  us  the  following  illustra- 
tion:— "A  cow  which  was  feeding  tranquilly  in  a  pasture,  the 
gate  of  which  was  open  to  the  road,  was  much  annoyed  by 
a  mischievous  boy  who  amused  himself  by  throwing  stones 
at  the  peaceful  animal,  which,  after  bearing  with  his  impertinence 
for  some  time,  at  length  went  up  to  him,  hooked  the  end 
of  her  horn  into  his  clothes,  and  lifting  him  from  the  ground, 
carried  him  out  of  the  field  and  laid  him  down  in  the  road. 
She  then  calmly  returned  to  her  pasture,  leaving  him  quit 
with  a  severe  fright  and  a  torn  garment."  Cows  have  been 
taught  to  graze  close  to  forbidden  crops  without  yielding  to 
the  temptation  to  eat  them. 

The  Pride  A  writer  rn  Frank  Leslie's  popular  monthly  gives 
of  a  Cow.  an  amusing  instance  of  vanity  as  shown  by  a 
cow.  This  cow,  he  was  told,  claimed  precedence  in  all  cases; 
she  always  went  ahead  of  the  herd  and  claimed  the  best  piece 
of  pasture  as  her  exclusive  domain.  So  far  did  she  carry 
her  pretensions,  that  if  any  of  the  other  cows  entered  the 
stable  before  her,  she  would  refuse  to  follow.  Anxious  to 


THE  BISON. 

see  this  with  his  own  eyes,  he  desired  to  be  taken  to  her 
stable  at  evening.  The  man,  instructed  how  to  act,  drove  in 
some  of  the  other  cows.  The  white  cow  drew  up ;  not  only 
did  she  refuse  to  advance,  in  spite  of  all  encouraging  words, 
but  her  whole  frame  swelled  with  anger  and  offended  dignity. 
She  kept  lowing  continually.  At  last  the  cows  within,  as 
though  conscious  that  they  had  forgotten  their  place,  began 
to  come  out,  and  as  they  were  driven  out,  the  proud  white 
cow,  with  an  evident  air  of  gratified  pride,  strode  in  in  silence. 
It  is  almost  impossible  to  convey  the  impression  produced 
by  this  exhibition  of  downright  pride,  Hidalgo  pride,  in  what 
many  would  call  a  dumb  brute. 

The  Bison.  The  American  Bison  is  a  formidable  animal 
when  engaged  alone,  and  when  charging  in  a  pack  simply 
irresistible.  He  is  about  the  size  of  an  ox,  one  measured 
by  Sir  J.  Richardson  being  eight  feet  six  inches  in  length, 
without  his  tail,  and  more  than  six  feet  in  height  at  his  fore- 
quarters.  He  has  an  enormous  head,  surmounted  by  a  huge 
hump  on  his  shoulder  which  is  covered  in  winter  with  shaggy 
mane-like  hair.  His  hinder  quarters  are  comparatively  thin 
and  small,  and  his  colour  is  a  dark  brown  approaching  to  black. 
Sharp  piercing  eyes  and  short  powerful  horns  give  him  a  fierce 
appearance  and  dangerous  powers.  He  has  enormous  strength 
in  his  head  and  neck.  The  Bison  is  gregarious,  associating 
in  herds  many  hundreds  strong.  These  herds  have  been 
greatly  reduced  during  late  years,  but  a  herd  seen  by  Captains 
Lewis  and  Clerk  was  numbered  by  them  at  not  less  than 
twenty  thousand.  "  Such  was  the  multitude  of  these  animal, 
that,  although  the  river,  including  an  island  over  which  they 
passed,  was  a  mile  in  breadth,  the  herd  stretched  as  thick  as 
they  could  swim  completely  from  one  side  to  the  other."  When 
they  join  in  a  stampede,  they  are  said  to  rush  over  the  plains 
like  a  cataract,  with  a  noise  resembling  that  of  thunder.  Captain 
Brown  says,  "Bison  generally  prefer  the  open  plains,  and 
do  not  resort  to  woods,  except  when  attacked;  they  seldom 


212  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

attempt  to  defend  themselves,  but  almost  invariably  take  to 
flight.  They  are  extremely  fleet,  and  their  sense  of  smell  is 
so  acute,  that  they  discover  an  enemy  at  a  great  distance, 
so  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  near  them.  They  are  frequently 
hunted  by  the  natives,  who  live  principally  on  their  flesh. 
When  the  hunters  kill  an  old  dam,  they  pay  no  attention 
to  the  calf,  as  it  is  sure  to  remain  by  its  dead  mother. 
Instances  have  been  known  of  a  mother  entering  the  town 
of  Cincinnati,  followed  by  its  calves.  Many  of  them  fall 
victims  to  wolves  and  grizzly  bears.  Their  beef  is  of  an 
excellent  quality,  and  of  a  very  superior  flavour." 
Hunting  the  Hunting  the  Bison  is  both  a  popular  sport 
Bison.  an(j  a  lucrative  commercial  enterprise.  The 
Indians  hunt  them  for  their  skins,  which  they  sell  as  "Buffalo 
robes,"  the  Bison  being  commonly  called  a  Buffalo  by  them, 
as  well  as  for  food.  The  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  says,  "The 
hunters  take  advantage  of  the  gregarious  instincts  of  this 
animal,  and  hunt  them  when  they  are  collected  together  in 
their  vast  herds,  which  blacken  the  face  of  the  prairie  for 
miles.  Sometimes  they  form  in  line,  and  drive  the  herd  to 
the  edge  of  some  tall  cliff,  over  which  they  fall  in  hundreds, 
those  behind  pushing  on  those  in  the  van;  or  sometimes 
they  form  a  large  circle,  driving  the  animals  into  a  helpless 
and  leaderless  mass,  into  which  the  hunters  spring,  leaving 
their  horses,  and  treading  with  the  skill  of  rope-dancers  on 
the  backs  of  the  bewildered  bisons,  whom  they  slaughter  as 
they  pass,  stepping  from  one  to  the  other,  and  driving  the 
sharp  blade  of  their  spear  through  the  spine  of  the  animal 
whose  back  they  have  just  quitted.  When  only  wounded 
the  Bison  is  a  most  dangerous  antagonist,  and  rushes  on  its 
enemy  with  the  most  determined  ferocity." 

The  Eastern  Bison  lives  in  the  forests  of  Bialowesha  in 
Lithuania  under  the  protection  of  the  Czar  of  Russia.  The 
numbers  are  much  smaller  than  those  of  North-America  but 
they  are  said  to  be  more  fierce. 


MILES'   NATURAL,  HISTORY. 


BISON 

I  Bison  Americanus) 


THE  BUFFALO.  213 

The  Buffalo.  The  Buffalo,  which  must  not  be  confused  with 
the  Bison,  is  similar  in  appearance  to  an  ox,  which  it  often 
exceeds  in  size.  It  has  no  hump  on  its  shoulder  as  the 
Bison  has,  but  it  has  much  longer  horns,  horns  that  often 
measure  three  feet  in  length,  and  is  much  fiercer  in  their  use. 
The  Indian  Buffalo  will  attack  the  hunter  when  it  is  brought  to 
bay,  and  unless  the  hunter  can  despatch  him  as  he  approaches, 
there  is  no  chance  for  him  at  close  quarters.  These  Buffaloes, 
however,  may  be  tamed  and  are  often  trained  to  and  employed 
in  useful  service. 

Hunting  the  Captain  Brown  gives  the  following  account  of 
Indian  a  Buffalo  hunt  which  took  place  at  Keshennagar, 
Buffalo.  in  Hindostan,  when  four  gentlemen  on  horseback 
chased  a  herd  of  seven  buffaloes  and  a  calf  for  a  long  distance. 
"  After  having  followed  them  three  miles,  the  young  one  separated 
from  the  herd,  and  joined  some  tame  cattle  belonging  to  a 
neighbouring  village.  It  was  killed  by  the  party,  who  after- 
wards continued  the  pursuit  of  the  old  ones,  when  they 
were  overtaken  in  a  high  grass  jungle  four  miles  farther  off. 
They  were  quickly  driven  from  this  place,  and  closely  followed 
for  more  than  six  miles  over  a  plain:  at  length  the  party 
succeeded  in  separating  one  buffalo  from  the  herd.  Here 
the  encounter  began.  After  receiving  several  wounds,  he 
still  continued  his  flight;  he  suddenly  halted,  and  kept  his 
pursuers  at  bay;  after  a  short  interval  he  again  fled,  and  was 
pursued  and  wounded  as  before,  carrying  the  spears  sticking 
in  his  back  and  sides  for  several  hundred  yards.  Lieutenant 
White,  of  the  I5th  Native  Infantry,  rode  up  very  close  to 
him,  threw  his  spear,  and  wounded  the  animal  in  the  loins. 
His  horse  being  much  exhausted,  was  unable  to  wheel  round 
before  the  buffalo  turned  about  and  charged  with  such  vigour, 
that  both  horse  and  rider  were  overthrown,  and  lay  many  yards 
distant.  Fortunately,  the  lieutenant  received  no  material  injury ; 
and  when  the  animal  approached  he  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  lie  fiat  on  his  back.  The  beast  approached,  but 


214  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

stood  at  his  feet,  without  offering  any  violence.  The  othei 
sportsmen  called  repeatedly  to  their  companion  to  arise  and 
escape.  For  some  time,  however,  he  disregarded  the  advice, 
fearful  of  the  consequences;  at  length,  in  compliance  with 
their  entreaty,  he  arose;  the  buffalo  instantly  rushed  forward, 
but  Mr.  White  escaped  by  throwing  himself  down;  while  the 
enraged  beast,  missing  his  aim,  fell  on  the  ground,  his  horns 
grazing  Mr.  White's  back,  as  he  passed  over  him.  After  this 
lucky  escape,  he  seized  the  favourable  opportunity,  and 
regained  his  horse.  The  buffalo  then  took  refuge  in  a  tank; 
and  when  his  former  opponent  joined  his  companions,  who 
were  standing  upon  the  bank,  the  animal  issued  forth,  and 
selecting  Lieutenant  White  for  the  object  of  its  vengeance, 
pursued  him  to  a  considerable  distance.  The  animal  was 
now  rendered  quite  furious,  and  attacked  everything  within 
his  reach,  such  as  cows  and  dogs.  Unfortunately,  an  old 
woman  returning  from  market  passed,  and  became  the  vic- 
tim of  his  rage;  she  was  taken  up  without  any  appearance 
of  life,  having  her  arms  broken,  and  many  wounds.  The 
cavalry  being,  from  fatigue,  hors  de  combat,  could  not  renew 
the  attack;  and  the  buffaloes,  whose  system  was  retreat,  having 
gained  a  victory,  now  continued  their  course  without  mol- 
estation. " 

The  Cape  The  Cape  Buffalo  is  the  fiercest  of  the  Bull 
Buffalo,  family.  He  will  charge  a  lion  or  a  tiger  and 
often  come  off  victor  in  the  strife.  According  to  Mr.  Pringle 
he  is  considerably  larger  than  the  domestic  ox;  the  bony 
pad  on  his  forehead  making  a  complete  helmet,  and  it  is  im- 
possible to  pierce  him  with  bullets  which  have  not  been 
hardened  by  tin.  He  is  said  to  be  fierce,  treacherous,  and 
savage ;  and  even  when  not  provoked,  to  attack  any  man  who 
strays  near  his  haunts,  skulking  in  the  jungle  when  he  sees 
him  approach,  and  then  suddenly  rushing  out  upon  him. 
Having  tossed  his  enemy  to  his  heart's  content  or  thrown  him 
down,  he  will  trample  and  gore  him,  tearing  off  his  skin  with 


THE  CAPE  BUFFALO.  215 

his  tongue,  until  he  is  shockingly  mutilated.  He  is  one  of 
the  few  animals  which  seem  to  cherish  the  spirit  of  revenge. 
Hunting  the  Mr.  Pringle  gives  the  following  description  of 
Cape  Buffalo.  a  Cape  Buffalo  hunt.  "  A  party  of  boers  had 
gone  out  to  hunt  a  herd  of  buffaloes  which  were  grazing  on 
a  piece  of  marshy  ground.  As  they  could  not  get  within  shot 
of  the  game  without  crossing  part  of  the  marsh,  which  was 
not  safe  for  the  horses,  they  agreed  to  leave  them  in  charge 
of  the  Hottentots,  and  advance  on  foot,  thinking  that  if  any 
of  the  buffaloes  should  turn  upon  them,  it  would  be  easy  to 
escape  by  retreating  across  the  quagmire,  which,  though 
passable  for  man,  would  not  support  the  weight  of  a  heavy 
quadruped.  They  advanced  accordingly,  and,  under  a  covert 
of  the  bushes,  approached  the  game  with  such  advantage  that 
the  first  volley  brought  down  three  of  the  fattest  of  the  herd, 
and  so  severely  wounded  the  great  bull  leader  that  he  dropped 
on  his  knees,  bellowing  furiously.  Thinking  him  mortally 
wounded,  the  foremost  of  the  huntsmen  issued  from  the  covert, 
and  began  reloading  his  musket  as  he  advanced  to  give  him 
a  finishing  shot.  But  no  sooner  did  the  infuriated  animal 
see  his  foe  in  front  of  him,  than  he  sprang  up  and  rushed 
headlong  upon  him.  The  man,  throwing  down  his  heavy 
gun,  fled  towards  the  quagmire;  but  the  beast  was  so  close 
upon  him  that  he  despaired  of  escaping  in  that  direction, 
and  turning  suddenly  round  a  clump  of  copsewood,  began 
to  climb  an  old  mimosa  tree  which  stood  at  one  side  of  it. 
The  raging  beast,  however,  was  too  quick  for  him.  Bound- 
ing forward  with  a  roar  which  my  informant  described  as 
being  one  of  the  most  frightful  sounds  he  ever  heard,  he 
caught  the  unfortunate  man  with  his  terrible  horns  just  as 
he  had  nearly  escaped  his  reach,  and  tossed  him  into  the 
air  with  such  force  that  the  body  fell,  dreadfully  mangled, 
into  a  cleft  of  the  tree.  The  buffalo  ran  round  the  tree  once 
or  twice,  apparently  looking  for  the  man,  until,  weakened 
with  loss  of  blood,  he  again  sank  on  his  knees.  The  rest 


2l6  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

of  the  party,  recovering  from  their  confusion,  then  came  up 
and  despatched  him,  though  too  late  to  save  their  comrade, 
whose  body  was  hanging  in  the  tree  quite  dead." 

The  Zebu.  The  Zebu  is  found  in  India,  China,  Arabia, 
Persia  and  Africa.  It  is  of  about  the  same  size  as  a  cow, 
but  is  distinguished  by  the  possession  of  a  hump  upon  its 
shoulders,  giving  it  some  resemblance  to  the  Bison.  It  is  used 
both  for  riding  and  driving  in  India,  where  it  admirably  serves 
the  purposes  of  a  horse,  travelling  at  the  rate  of  six  miles  an 
hour  for  many  hours  at  a  stretch  and  leaping  obstacles  with 
the  facility  of  a  practised  hunter.  It  is  also  used  for  plough- 
ing land  and  threshing  corn. 

The  Yak.  The  Yak  belongs  to  Western  Thibet.  It  is  of 
singular  appearance,  having  the  head  of  a  bull  and  the  hump 
of  a  Bison,  and  being  covered  with  long  hair  reaching  almost 
to  the  ground.  In  a  wild  state  it  is  savage  and  dangerous, 
but  it  is  brought  under  cultivation  by  the  Tartars,  who  use 
it  as  a  beast  of  burden  and  make  ropes  and  garments  from 
its  hair.  The  female  yields  rich  milk  from  which  excellent 
butter  is  made ;  butter  which  is  stored  in  bladders  from  which 
the  air  is  excluded.  It  is  then  carried  to  market  by  the  faithful 
animal  which  has  produced  it. 

The  Antelopes.  The  Antelopes  are  numerous  in  kind  and 
various  in  form,  too  numerous  and  various  to  be  separately 
described.  The  Eland,  the  largest  and  heaviest  of  the 
species,  belongs  to  South  Africa;  the  Bosch-bok,  to  South  and 
Central  Africa,  the  Harnessed  Antelope  to  West  Africa;  and 
the  Nylghau  to  India.  The  Leucoryx  and  the  Addax  are 
found  in  North  Africa,  the  Equine  Antelopes  in  tropical  Africa 
and  the  Cape.  The  Pallah  herds  in  South  Africa.  The 
Prong-horned  Antelope  belongs  to  North  America,  inhabiting  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  districts  both  north  and  south.  The 
Bay  Antelope  is  found  on  the  Gold  Coast,  the  Four-horned 
Antelope  in  India.  The  Gnu  or  Wildebeest  belongs  to  South 
Africa  and  the  Chamois  and  the  Izard  to  the  Pyrenees. 


THE  SHEEP  AND  THE  GOAT.         217 

The  Gazelle.  The  Gazelle,  of  which  there  are  numerous  species, 
belongs  to  Syria,  Egypt  and  Algeria.  It  is  a  beautiful  animal, 
resembling  a  roebuck,  but  more  delicately  and  finely  limbed, 
with  hair  equally  short,  but  finer  and  more  glossy.  It  has  a 
small  tuft  of  hair  on  each  of  its  fore  limbs.  Of  all  animals 
in  the  world,  gazelles  are  said  to  have  the  most  beautiful 
eyes — extremely  brilliant,  and  yet  meek  and  expressive.  Their 
swiftness  is  equal  to  that  of  the  roe;  they  do  not,  however, 
bound  forward  like  the  roe,  but  run  along  in  an  even  unin- 
terrupted course.  Most  of  them  are  brown  upon  the  back, 
white  under  the  belly  with  a  black  stripe  separating  these 
colours.  Their  horns  are  annulated  or  ringed  round. 

The  Sheep  The  sheep,  so  useful  to  man,  furnishing  him 
and  the  Goat.  wjth  both  food  and  clothing,  is  one  of  the  most 
defenceless  and  inoffensive  of  all  animals.  The  goat  is  more 
hardy,  more  playful,  lively,  and  vagrant  than  the  sheep.  It 
delights  in  climbing  precipices,  for  which  nature  has  fitted 
it,  by  giving  it  hoofs  hollow  underneath,  with  sharp  edges, 
so  that  it  walks  securely  on  narrow  ridges.  Both  animals  have 
been  known  from  the  earliest  times,  and  are  frequently  men- 
tioned in  the  Sacred  Writings.  Of  the  different  kinds  of  sheep, 
the  common  sheep,  the  long-tailed  sheep  and  the  Wallachian 
sheep  are  typical  varieties.  The  common  sheep  provides  us 
with  our  chief  supplies  of  wool.  The  wool  of  the  Spanish 
sheep  (the  merino)  is  finer  in  quality,  but  much  less  in  quan- 
tity. The  long-tailed  sheep  belongs  to  Syria  and  Egypt,  and 
the  Wallachian  sheep  to  Crete,  Wallachia,  Hungary,  and 
Western  Asia.  This  last  has  long  horns,  and  its  wool  is 
mixed  with  hair.  The  musk  sheep  of  Arctic  America  resembles 
the  yak  somewhat  in  appearance,  though  minus  the  hump  and 
with  horns  more  resembling  those  of  the  buffalo.  It  is  some- 
times called  the  musk  ox.  The  goat  is  not  much  used  in 
England,  but  it  is  practically  the  cow  of  Syria  and  Switzerland. 
The  Cashmir  goat  produces  the  fine  wool  so  much  valued  for 
shawl  material ;  the  kid,  the  materials  so  largely  used  by  the 


2l8  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

glove    makers.     The    ibex  belongs  to  the   Carpathians,   the 
Pyrenees,   and   the  Savoy  Alps,  though  it  is  now  but  rarely 
found  in  places  where  it  was  once  abundant. 
The  Intellig-      ^r>   ^'   ^'  ^**   Kingston   tells   an   interesting 
ence  of  the  story   of  a   ewe,   bred   in   the  neighbourhood  of 

Sheep.  Edinburgh  who  was  driven  into  Perthshire,  a 
distance  of  upwards  of  a  hundred  miles,  to  a  place  where 
she  became  the  mother  of  a  Iamb.  Not  liking  her  new 
quarters,  she  evidently  determined  to  revisit  the  old,  and  set 
off  with  that  purpose,  taking  her  lamb  with  her.  Arrived  at 
Stirling  she  found  the  place  alive  with  the  excitement  of  an 
annual  fair.  Not  deeming  it  prudent  to  increase  the  excite- 
ment she  rested  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  throughout 
the  day,  where  she  was  noticed  by  many  people,  but  molested 
by  none.  Early  the  following  morning  she  crossed  the  town 
and  proceeded  on  her  journey.  Arrived  at  the  toll  bar  of 
St.  Ninians,  she  was  stopped  by  the  toll  keeper  who  supposed 
her  to  be  a  stray  sheep.  Unable  to  get  through  the  gate, 
she  turned  back,  made  a  circuitous  detour  and  reached  her 
old  home  after  a  journey  of  nine  days.  Her  former  owner 
rewarded  her  by  repurchasing  her  and  allowing  her  to  remain 
on  his  farm  until  her  death,  which  occurred  at  the  mature  age 
of  seventeen  years.  The  sense  of  locality  noticed  in  the  cat, 
the  dog,  the  horse,  and  other  animals  is  here  seen  to  be 
characteristic  of  the  sheep.  Mr.  Kingston  tells  another  story 
of  a  ewe  who,  unable  to  extricate  a  lamb  which  had  become 
entangled  in  a  hedge,  made  her  way  through  several  hedges 
into  a  neighbouring  field  and  fetched  a  ram  to  its  assistance, 
thus  effecting  its  liberation.  Sheep  have  also  been  known  to 
seek  and  secure  the  assistance  of  cattle  when  in  difficulty. 
Bheep  and  Haydn  the  composer  tells  a  pretty  story  of  the 

Mupio.  power  of  music  over  the  mountain  sheep  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Lago  Maggiore  in  Lombardy.  "Having 
reached  the  middle  of  the  ascent  by  daybreak,"  he  says,  "we 
stopped  to  contemplate  the  Borromean  Isles,  which  were 


THE  ELEPHANT.  219 

displayed  under  our  feet,  when  we  were  surrounded  by  a 
flock  of  sheep,  which  were  leaving  their  fold  to  go  to  pasture. 
One  of  Our  party,  who  was  no  bad  performer  on  the  flute, 
and  who  always  carried  the  instrument  with  him,  took  it  out 
of  his  pocket.  '  I  am  going, '  said  he,  '  to  turn  Corydon ; 
let  us  see  whether  Virgil's  sheep  will  recognise  their  pastor.' 
He  began  to  play.  The  sheep  and  goats,  which  were  follow- 
ing one  another  towards  the  mountain  with  their  heads 
hanging  down,  raised  them  at  the  first  sound  of  the  flute, 
and  all,  with  a  general  and  hasty  movement,  turned  to  the 
side  from  whence  the  agreeable  noise  proceeded.  They  grad- 
ually flocked  round  the  musician,  and  listened  with  motionless 
attention.  He  ceased  playing,  and  the  sheep  did  not  stir. 
The  shepherd  with  his  staff  now  obliged  them  to  move  on ; 
but  no  sooner  did  the  fluter  begin  again  than  his  innocent 
auditors  again  returned  to  him.  The  shepherd,  out  of  patience, 
pelted  them  with  clods  of  earth ;  but  not  one  of  them  would 
move.  The  fluter  played  with  additional  skill ;  the  shepherd 
fell  into  a  passion,  whistled,  scolded,  and  pelted  the  poor 
creatures  with  stones.  Such  as  were  hit  by  them  began  to 
march,  but  the  others  still  refused  to  stir.  At  last  the  shep- 
herd was  forced  to  entreat  our  Orpheus  to  stop  his  magic 
sounds ;  the  sheep  then  moved  off,  but  continued  to  stop  at 
a  distance  as  often  as  our  friend  resumed  the  agreeable 
instrument.  As  music  was  our  continual  employment,  we 
were  delighted  with  our  adventure ;  we  reasoned  upon  it  the 
whole  day,  and  concluded  that  physical  pleasure  is  the  basis 
of  all  interest  in  music." 

ORDER  VIII.      Of  the  elephant  there  is  now  but  one  genus 
The  Elephant,    and  two  species ;  respectively  the  Indian  and 
the  African  varieties.     At  least  fourteen  species  are  known  to 
be  extinct. 

The  elephant  is  the  largest  of  the  quadrupeds;  his  height 
is  from  eight  to  fourteen  feet;  his  length  is  ten  to  fifteen 
feet.  His  form  resembles  that  of  a  hog;  his  eyes  are  small 


220  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  lively ;  his  ears  are  broad,  long,  and  pendulous.  He  has 
two  large  tusks,  and  a  trunk  or  proboscis  at  the  extremity 
of  the  nose,  which  he  uses  to  take  his  food  with,  and,  in 
case  of  necessity,  for  attack  or  defence.  His  legs  are  thick 
and  long,  and  his  feet  are  divided  into  five  rounded  toes. 
His  colour  is  a  dark  ash  brown.  There  are  elephants, 
however,  of  a  white  or  cream  colour.  The  African  is  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Indian  variety  by  the  size  of  its  ears, 
which  in  the  African  species  are  very  large.  Dr.  Livingstone 
gave  the  measurement  of  the  ears  of  a  female  he  killed,  as 
four  feet  five  inches  in  depth  and  four  feet  in  horizontal 
breadth,  and  said  he  had  seen  a  native  creep  under  one  so 
as  to  be  completely  covered  from  the  rain.  The  ear  of  the 
Indian  variety  is  not  more  than  a  third  of  this  size.  Gen- 
erally the  elephants  of  Africa  and  especially  those  of  the 
south  are  larger  than  those  of  India.  The  most  striking 
characteristic  of  the  elephant  is  his  trunk  "  In  this,"  says  the 
Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  "there  are  about  forty  thousand  muscles, 
enabling  the  elephant  to  shorten,  lengthen,  coil  up,  or  move 
in  any  direction  this  most  extraordinary  organ.  The  trunk  is 
pierced  throughout  its  length  by  two  canals,  through  which 
liquids  can  be  drawn  by  suction.  If  the  elephant  wishes 
to  drink,  after  drawing  the  liquid  into  its  trunk,  it  inserts 
the  end  of  its  proboscis  into  its  mouth,  and  discharges  the 
contents  down  its  throat;  but  if  it  merely  wishes  to  wash 
itself  or  play,  it  blows  the  contained  liquid  from  the  trunk 
with  great  violence.  Through  the  trunk  the  curious  trumpet- 
like  voice  of  the  elephant  is  produced.  At  the  extremity  is 
a  finger-like  appendage,  with  which  it  can  pick  up  small  ob- 
jects. "  The  elephant  is  thirty  years  old  before  he  attains 
maturity.  He  lives  on  foliage,  herbs,  and  fruits,  haying  a  spe- 
cial taste  fqr  those  which  are  sweet. 

The  Wild       The  elephant  is  naturally  a  quiet  and  inoffensive 

Elephant,    animal,  and  being  gifted  with  an  unusually  keen 

scent  and  sense  of  hearing,  will  usually  decamp  on  the  approach 


THE  WILD  ELEPHANT.  221 

of  danger.  If  wounded,  however,  he  will  sometimes  turn  upon 
his  aggressor  with  terrible  vengeance.  Mr.  Burchell,  the  South 
African  traveller,  gives  a  painful  illustration  of  this.  He  says: — 
"Carl  Krieger  was  a  fearless  hunter,  and  being  an  excellent 
marksman,  often  ventured  into  the  most  dangerous  situations. 
One  day  having,  with  his  party,  pursued  an  elephant  which 
he  had  wounded,  the  irritated  animal  suddenly  turned  round, 
and  singling  out  from  the  rest  the  person  by  whom  he  had 
been  injured,  seized  him  with  his  trunk,  and  lifting  his  wretched 
victim  high  in  the  air,  dashed  him  with  dreadful  force 
to  the  ground.  His  companions,  struck  with  horror,  fled 
precipitately  from  the  fatal  scene,  unable  to  look  back  upon 
the  rest  of  the  dreadful  tragedy;  but  on  the  following  day 
they  repaired  to  the  spot,  where  they  collected  the  few  bones 
that  could  be  found,  and  buried  them.  The  enraged  animal 
had  not  only  literally  trampled  Krieger's  body  to  pieces,  but 
did  not  feel  its  vengeance  satisfied  till  it  had  pounded  the 
very  flesh  and  bones  into  the  dust,  so  that  nothing  of  the 
unfortunate  man  remained  excepting  a  few  of  the  latter, 
which  made  most  resistance  from  their  size. "  Another  ele- 
phant seized  a  soldier  of  the  Royal  African  Corps,  threw  him 
down,  brought  his  four  feet  together  and  stamped  upon  him 
until  he  was  dead;  then  seizing  the  body  with  his  trunk, 
threw  it  into  the  jungle. 

Elephant  Major  Skinner  in  a  communication  made  to 
Herds.  Sir  E.  Tennant  gives  the  following  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  the  actions  of  a  herd  of  elephants  he  watched  on  one 
occasion  in  the  north  of  Ceylon.  Knowing  that  from  the 
scarcety  of  water  at  that  time  and  place  a  large  herd  of 
elephants  which  he  knew  to  be  in  the  neighbourhood  must 
visit  a  certain  pool  during  the  night  he  made  his  preparations 
accordingly.  He  says : — "  Having  ordered  the  fires  of  my 
camp  to  be  extinguished  at  an  early  hour,  and  all  my  fol- 
lowers to  retire  to  rest,  I  took  up  my  post  of  observation  on 
an  overhanging  bough ;  but  I  had  to  remain  for  upwards  of 


222  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

two  hours  before  anything  was  to  be  seen  or  heard  of  the 
elephants,  although  I  knew  they  were  within  500  yards  of 
me.  At  length,  about  the  distance  of  300  yards  from  the 
water,  an  unusually  large  elephant  issued  from  the  dense  cover, 
and  advanced  cautiously  across  the  open  ground  to  within 
loo  yards  of  the  tank,  where  he  stood  perfectly  motionless. 
So  quiet  had  the  elephants  become  (although  they  had  been 
roaring  and  breaking  the  jungle  throughout  the  day  and 
evening)  that  not  a  movement  was  now  to  be  heard.  The 
huge  vidette  remained  in  his  position,  still  as  a  rock,  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  made  three  successive  stealthy  advances 
of  several  yards  (halting  for  some  minutes  between  each,  with 
ears  bent  forward  to  catch  the  slightest  sound),  and  in  this 
way  he  moved  slowly  up  to  the  water's  edge.  Still  he  did 
not  venture  to  quench  his  thirst;  for  though  his  forefeet  were 
partially  in  the  tank,  and  his  vast  body  was  reflected  clear 
in  the  water,  he  remained  for  some  minutes  listening  in  per- 
fect stillness.  Not  a  motion  could  be  perceived  in  himself 
or  his  shadow.  He  returned  cautiously  and  slowly  to  the 
position  he  had  at  first  taken  up  on  emerging  from  the  forest. 
Here  in  a  little  while  he  was  joined  by  five  others,  with  which 
he  again  proceeded  as  cautiously  but  less  slowly  than  before, 
to  within  a  few  yards  of  the  tank,  and  then  posted  his  patrols. 
He  then  re-entered  the  forest  and  collected  around  him  the 
whole  herd,  which  must  have  amounted  to  between  eighty 
and  a  hundred  individuals,  led  them  across  the  open  ground 
with  the  most  extraordinary  composure  and  quietness  till  he 
joined  the  advance  guard,  when  he  left  them  for  a  moment 
and  repeated  his  former  reconnaissance  at  the  edge  of  the 
tank.  After  which  and  having  apparently  satisfied  himself 
that  all  was  safe,  he  returned  and  obviously  gave  the  order 
to  advance,  for  in  a  moment  the  whole  herd  rushed  into  the 
water  with  a  degree  of  unreserved  confidence,  so  opposite  to 
the  caution  and  timidity  which  had  marked  their  previous 
movements,  that  nothing  will  ever  persuade  me  that  there  was 


THE  TAME  ELEPHANT.  223 

not  rational  and  preconcerted  co-operation  throughout  the 
whole  party,  and  a  degree  of  responsible  authority  exercised 
by  the  patriarch  leader. 

'  When  the  poor  animals  had  gained  possession  of  the  tank 
(the  leader  being  the  last  to  enter),  they  seemed  to  abandon 
themselves  to  enjoyment  without  restraint  or  apprehension 
of  danger.  Such  a  mass  of  animal  life  I  had  never  before 
seen  huddled  together  in  so  narrow  a  space.  It  seemed  to 
me  as  if  they  would  have  nearly  drunk  the  tank  dry.  I 
watched  them  with  great  interest  until  they  had  satisfied 
themselves  as  well  in  bathing  as  in  drinking,  when  I  tried 
how  small  a  noise  would  apprise  them  of  the  proximity  of 
unwelcome  neighbours.  I  had  but  to  break  a  little  twig,  and 
the  solid  mass  instantly  took  flight  like  a  herd  of  frightened 
deer,  each  of  the  smaller  calves  being  apparently  shouldered 
and  carried  along  between  two  of  the  older  ones.  In  drink- 
ing, the  elephant,  like  the  camel,  although  preferring  water 
pure,  shows  no  decided  aversion  to  it  when  discoloured  with 
mud ;  and  the  eagerness  with  which  he  precipitates  himself 
into  the  tanks  and  streams  attests  his  exquisite  enjoyment  of 
the  fresh  coolness,  which  to  him  is  the  chief  attraction.  In 
crossing  deep  rivers,  although  his  rotundity  and  buoyancy 
enable  him  to  swim  with  a  less  immersion  than  other  quad- 
rupeds, he  generally  prefers  to  sink  till  no  part  of  his  huge 
body  is  visible  except  the  lip  of  his  trunk  through  which  he 
breathes,  moving  beneath  the  surface,  and  only  now  and 
then  raising  his  head  to  look  that  he  is  keeping  the  proper 
direction." 

Elephant  The    affection  shown  by  elephants  for  each 

Friendships,  other  has  often  had  pathetic  illustration.  Two 
elephants,  male  and  female,  which  had  been  brought  separately 
to  Paris,  were  placed  in  adjoining  apartments  divided  by  a 
portcullis.  The  male  soon  discovered  that  this  was  fastened 
by  a  bolt  well  within  his  reach,  and  hastily  withdrawing  it  rushed 
into  the  other  apartment.  The  meeting  is  described  as  in- 


224  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

describable.  Their  cries  of  joy,  says  Mrs.  Bowdich,  shook 
the  whole  building,  and  they  blew  air  from  their  trunks 
resembling  the  blasts  from  smiths'  bellows.  The  female  moved 
her  ears  with  great  rapidity,  and  entwined  her  trunk  round 
the  body  of  the  male.  The  male  encircled  her  with  his 
trunk  and  shed  tears. 

.pkg  The   sagacity    of   the   elephant  has  been  said 

Elephant's  sometimes  to  equal  that  of  the  dog.  A  striking 
sagacity,  illustration  of  it  is  related  in  Pettit's  work  on  the 
Tinnevelly  Missions.  "While  the  large  chapel  at  Nagercoil 
was  building  the  missionaries  obtained  the  loan  of  a  trained 
elephant  for  drawing  the  larger  timber  used  in  its  erection. 
The  late  Mrs.  Mault  kindly  saw  the  animal  regularly  fed, 
lest  the  food  should  be  stolen  by  the  attendant.  One  day 
the  allowance  of  rice  seemed  very  deficient  in  quantity,  and 
the  good  lady  expostulated  on  the  subject  with  the  keeper. 
Raising  his  hands  to  heaven,  the  man  loudly,  and  with  great 
apparent  earnestness  and  sincerity,  repudiated  the  idea  of 
his  having  taken  any  of  the  rice.  'Do  you  think,  madam, 
that  I  would  rob  my  child?  No,  never!  no  more  than  I 
would  deprive  my  own  children  of  their  daily  food. '  While 
he  was  speaking  and  gesticulating,  the  intelligent  creature, 
slyly  extending  his  trunk,  unfastened  the  man's  waist-cloth, 
spilling  the  missing  rice,  which  had  been  concealed  in  a  corner 
of  the  cloth,  and  exposing  the  dishonesty  of  the  attendant." 
A  Some  years  ago  there  was  an  elephant  who  was 

Centenarian  known  to  be  a  hundred  years  old,  named  Soup- 
Elephant,  ramany,  or  Old  Soup  as  he  was  called,  who 
lived  upon  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  near  the  city  of  Cawn- 
pore.  On  one  occasion  Old  Soup  was  engaged  with  a  num- 
ber of  other  elephants  and  a  party  of  soldiers,  under  the 
direction  of  Major  Daly,  in  loading  a  ship  with  bags  of  rice. 
While  the  work  was  proceeding  one  of  the  elephants  began 
to  throw  the  bags  into  the  river,  and  it  was  found  that  the 
animal  had  gone  mad.  Having  killed  his  keeper  the  elephant 


THE  TAME  ELEPHANT.  225 

started  in  pursuit  of  the  major's  children  who  with  their 
nurses  had  been  watching  the  elephants  at  work.  Old  Soup 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation  at  once.  He  dashed  in  be- 
tween the  mad  elephant  and  the  children  and  engaged  the 
infuriated  beast  in  mortal  combat.  The  fight  lasted  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  and  when  the  mad  elephant  lay  dying  on 
the  ground  it  was  found  that  Old  Soup  had  many  wounds 
to  remind  him  of  the  fray,  his  ears  were  badly  torn,  his 
head  was  bruised,  and  one  of  his  tusks  was  broken  off  short. 
An  Elephant  Elephants  are  most  affectionate  animals  and 
Nurse.  can  De  trusted  even  to  take  care  of  children. 
Old  Soup  whose  gallant  fight  recorded  above  gained  him 
great  fame,  became  the  daily  guardian  of  Major  Daly's 
children,  whom  he  had  so  heroically  rescued.  He  would 
accompany  them  down  to  the  riverside  when  they  went 
fishing,  and  could  himself  hold  a  rod  and  line,  which  the 
children  baited  for  him,  watching  the  float  and  landing  the 
fish  as  skilfully  as  an  accomplished  angler. 

rpj^  As  we  have  seen  in  the  case  of  a  dog  and 

Elephant's  that  of  a  monkey,  animals  sometimes  rise  to 
Intelligence.  the  intelligence  of  willingly  submitting  to  pain- 
ful surgical  treatment  in  view  of  cure.  Mr.  Kingston  tells 
of  an  elephant,  which  had  been  severely  wounded,  and  which 
used  to  go  alone  to  the  hospital  and  extend  itself  so  that 
the  surgeon  could  easily  reach  the  injured  part.  Mr.  Kingston 
says :  "  Though  the  pain  the  animal  suffered,  was  so  severe 
that  he  often  uttered  the  most  plaintive  groans,  he  never 
interrupted  the  operation,  but  exhibited  every  token  of  sub- 
mission to  the  surgeon  till  his  cure  was  effected. "  Another 
instance  given  by  Mr.  Kingston  is  even  more  remarkable  if 
only  for  its  analogy  to  human  conduct.  A  young  elephant 
had  a  severe  wound  in  its  head,  which  it  had  gained  on 
the  battle-field.  "  Nothing  could  induce  it  to  allow  the 
injury  to  be  attended  to.  At  length  by  certain  signs  and 
words,  the  keeper  explained  to  the  mother  what  was  wanted. 

15 


226  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  sagacious  animal  immediately  seized  the  young  one  with 
her  trunk,  and  though  it  groaned  with  agony,  held  it  to  the 
ground,  while  the  surgeon  was  thus  enabled  to  dress  the 
wound.  Day  after  day  she  continued  to  act  in  the  same 
way  till  the  wound  was  perfectly  healed."  There  is  surely 
no  stronger  proof  of  intelligence  than  that  afforded  when 
present  suffering  is  willingly  endured  for  the  sake  of  future 
good. 

ORDER  IX.  The  Coney  is  a  small  animal,  but  it  is  an 
The  Ooney.  animal  of  distinction.  It  has  been  classed  with 
the  Rodents  and  with  the  Pachyderms  but  its  characteristics 
are  so  unique  that  it  is  thought  better  to  give  it  a  separate 
order,  and  this  is  placed  between  the  Elephants  and  the 
Rodents.  The  coney  resembles  the  rabbit  in  size  and  general 
form,  perhaps  more  than  any  other  animal.  There  are  a 
number  of  species  belonging  to  one  genus,  the  genus  Hyrax : 
In  Psalm  civ,  18,  the  writer  says  the  rocks  are  a  refuge  for 
the  conies,  and  Agur  puts  the  coney  with  three  other  animals 
which  are  both  little  and  wise.  "  The  conies  are  but  a  feeble 
folk,  yet  they  make  their  houses  in  the  rocks  (Proverbs  xxx, 
26).  This  description  applies  to  the  Syrian  Hyrax  of  our  day 
as  truly  as  it  did  to  that  of  the  Psalmists  time.  The  coney 
is  found  all  over  Africa.  According  to  Dr.  Kirk  it  lives 
in  colonies  at  Mozambique,  where  it  is  often  trapped  and 
eaten. 

rvT»TM?T>  -v  The  Rodents  are  more  numerous  and  various 
UKJL/JtLK  A..  ,  ,  , 

The  Rodents-  t"an   anv   otner  class  of  mammals  :     There  are 
Animals      said   to  be   800  or  more  varieties.     These  are 
thatonaw.    divided   into   two   sub-orders:  I,    The  Simplici- 
dentati   and,  II,  the  Duplicidentati.     Those  of  the  first  sub- 
order have  two  incisor  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw ;  those  of  the 
second  have  four.     The   Simplicidentati   include  mice,   rats, 
jerboas,    beavers,    squirrels,    chinchillas,    porcupines,    guinea 
pigs,  &c. ;  the  Duplicidentati  includes  the  numerous  varieties  of 
hares  and  rabbits. 


RATS  AND  MICE.  227 

Bats  and  There  are  more  than  300  varieties  of  rats  and 
Mice.  mice,  and  they  are  found  almost  everywhere. 
The  rat  is  an  irrepressible  stowaway,  and  following  toothsome 
cargoes  on  board  ship  has  made  his  way  nearly  all  over  the 
world.  This  may  be  said,  in  a  less  degree,  of  the  mouse. 
The  better  known  varieties  of  rats  are  the  Brown  Rat,  .the 
Black  Rat,  the  Water  Rat,  the  Beaver  Rat,  the  Musk  Rat, 
the  Lemming,  the  Pouched  Rat,  &c.,  &c.  The  principal 
varieties  of  the  mouse  are,  the  House  Mouse,  the  Fieldmouse, 
the  Harvest  Mouse,  the  African  Mouse  and  the  Dormouse. 
The  Bat  The  brown  rat  is  the  species  common  in 
Family.  England,  and  best  known  throughout  the  world. 
It  is  said  to  have  travelled  from  Persia  to  England  less  than 
two  hundred  years  ago  and  to  have  spread  from  thence  to 
other  countries  visited  by  English  ships.  It  measures  about 
nine  inches,  and  is  of  a  light  brown  colour.  It  multiplies 
very  fast  and  once  colonised  is  very  difficult  of  extermination. 
It  is  larger  and  stronger  than  the  black  rat  which  it  found 
in  England  when  it  came  and  which  it  has  almost  entirely 
destroyed  and  replaced.  The  brown  rat  is  often  mistaken 
for  the  water  rat  as  it  will  take  to  the  water  on  occasion 
and  is  often  found  in  ditches  and  watery  places.  The  water 
rat  is  common  to  central  and  northern  Europe  and  is  well 
known  in  England  and  Scotland.  It  differs  little  from  the 
brown  rat  in  appearance,  and  inhabits  the  banks  of  rivers 
and  ponds.  The  black  rat  is  of  a  deep  iron  grey,  or  nearly 
black.  It  is  about  seven  inches  long  and  in  other  respects 
bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the  brown  rat.  The  beaver 
rat  is  a  native  of  America  and  measures  about  fourteen 
inches  exclusive  of  tail.  It  resembles  the  beaver  in  form,  is 
fond  of  the  water  and  swims  well.  At  the  approach  of  winter 
it  builds  itself  little  dome-topped  houses,  in  which  it  hibernates 
in  families.  In  the  spring  its  flesh  is  good  eating,  but  later 
it  acquires  a  musk-like  flavour  which  is  disagreeable.  It  is 
easily  tamed  when  young.  The  Muskovy  musk  rat  is  about 


228  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

the  size  of  the  common  rat;  it  has  a  long  and  slender 
nose;  no  external  ears;  and  very  small  eyes;  the  tail  is 
compressed  sideways,  and  its  hind  feet  are  webbed;  it  is  of 
a  dusky  colour;  the  belly  is  of  a  light  ash.  It  is  a  native  of 
Lapland  and  Russia,  in  the  former  of  which  countries  it  is 
called  the  Desman;  it  frequents  the  banks  of  rivers,  and  feeds 
on  small  fish.  The  Hudson's  Bay  lemming  is  covered  by 
very  fine  soft  and  long  hair  of  an  ash  colour.  In  winter  it  is 
white.  The  limbs  are  quite  short  and  the  fore  feet  being 
formed  for  burrowing,  are  very  strong.  The  Lapland  lemming 
resembles  the  preceding  and  is  remarkable  for  its  extensive 
migrations.  When  a  severe  winter  is  approaching,  the  lem- 
mings migrate  southward,  and  move  in  a  straightforward 
direction  with  such  inflexible  regularity,  that,  sooner  than 
deviate  from  it,  they  will  perish  in  attempting  to  pass  over 
any  obstacle  which  they  may  find  in  their  way.  The  pouched 
rat  belongs  to  America  and  is  found  in  Florida,  Georgia,  and 
Missouri.  It  is  brown  in  colour  and  lives  in  burrows  under 
ground.  The  cheek  pouches  are  external  and  are  said  to 
be  used  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  food  and  also  of  removing 
sand  loosened  in  the  process  of  burrowing. 

The  The  hamster  is  a  curious  little  rat-like  animal 

Hamster.  of  the  thrifty  kind,  that  lays  up  store  in  the 
summer  for  winter  use.  It  lives  in  burrows  which  it  connects 
with  various  apartments,  used  as  storehouses  for  food.  On 
the  approach  of  the  cold  weather  it  closes  the  entrance  to 
its  burrow,  and  makes  a  nest  of  straw  in  which  it  sleeps, 
becoming  torpid  in  extreme  cold. 

Swarms  of  The  rapidity  with  which  rats  multiply,  makes 
Rats.  them  troublesome  and  unpleasant  neighbours.  In 
the  vicinity  of  the  horse  slaughter-houses  at  Montfaucon, 
near  Paris,  some  years  ago,  they  had  become  so  numerous 
that  the  proposal  to  remove  the  slaughter  houses  was 
opposed  on  the  ground  of  the  danger  that  would  accrue  to 
the  inhabitants  from  the  rats  being  deprived  of  their  means 


THE  RAT. 

of  subsistence.  It  was  said  that  the  carcases  of  thirty-five 
horses,  if  left  unprotected,  would  be  eaten  by  these  rats  in 
one  night,  the  bones  being  picked  clean.  On  one  occasion, 
the  carcases  of  three  horses  were  placed  in  a  high  walled 
enclosure,  small  holes  having  been  made  in  the  walls  for  the 
admission  of  the  rats,  and  subsequently  stopped  up.  Several 
men  armed  with  torches  and  sticks,  then  entered  the  yard, 
which  was  so  full  of  rats  that  they  could  strike  right  and 
left  without  aim  and  yet  be  sure  of  destroying  them.  Two 
thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  rats  fell  victims  to  this  expe- 
riment in  one  night.  At  the  end  of  a  month,  the  experiment 
having  been  several  times  repeated,  sixteen  thousand  and 
fifty  rats  had  been  killed.  The  danger  accruing  from  the 
burrowing  of  such  enormous  quantities  of  rats  is  by  no  means 
slight. 

Invaded  by  The  story  of  Bishop  Hatto  and  the  invasion 
Bats.  Of  the  "MSusethurm"  on  the  Rhine  by  rats,  is 
well  known  if  not  entirely  authentic.  Some  idea  of  what  it  would 
be  to  be  invaded  by  rats,  may  be  gathered  from  Mrs. 
Bowdich's  graphic  account  of  her  own  painful  experiences. 
"When  living  in  Cape  Coast  Castle,  I  used  to  see  the  rats 
come  in  troops  past  my  door,  walking  over  my  black  boys 
as  they  lay  there,  and  who  only  turned  themselves  over  to 
present  the  other  sides  of  their  faces  and  bodies  when  the 
rats  returned,  and  thought  it  a  good  joke.  The  fiercest 
encounter  which  I  ever  had  with  them  was  during  one  of 
those  terrific  storms  which  are  more  furious  between  the 
tropics  than  elsewhere.  I  was  then,  however,  under  the 
Equator,  in  a  native  hut,  and  heard  an  exceeding  rustling 
and  movement  all  around  me.  To  my  terror  I  perceived 
that  these  proceeded  from  a  number  of  rats  running  up  and 
down  the  sides  of  the  room  in  which  I  was  to  pass  the  night, 
and  who  shortly  began  to  run  over  me,  they  being  disturbed 
by  the  torrents  of  rain  which  were  then  falling.  The  only 
weapon  I  could  find  was  a  shoe,  and  curling  myself  into  a 


230  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

large  arm-chair  taken  out  of  a  French  vessel,  and  covered 
with  blue  satin  damask,  I  sat  prepared  for  my  enemies,  whom 
I  dreaded  much  more  than  the  lightning,  which  was  flashing 
across  the  iron  bars  laid  upon  the  floor.  I  felt  that  the  silk 
of  my  place  of  refuge  was  some  sort  of  protection  against 
this;  but  my  own  arm  could  alone  save  me  from  my  four- 
footed  foes.  Presently  my  husband  came  in,  and  saluted  me 
with  a  shout  of  laughter,  which,  however,  abated  when  he 
saw  my  antagonists.  The  storm  lulled  for  a  while,  and  the 
rats  retreated.  We  then  crept  within  the  curtains  of  bamboo 
cloth  which  encircled  a  rude  imitation  of  a  fourpost  bedstead, 
but  I  kept  possession  of  my  shoe.  Weary  with  watching,  I 
closed  my  eyes,  but  was  awakened  by  a  tremendous  flash  of 
lightning,  immediately  followed  by  awful  thunder  and  a 
tumultuous  rush  of  rats.  Some  of  them  scrambled  up  the 
outside  of  the  curtains;  but,  arms  in  hand,  I  sat  up,  and 
directed  by  the  noise,  I  hurled  the  invaders  to  the  ground, 
till  at  length  resistance  and  the  passing  away  of  the  storm 
allowed  me  to  sleep  in  peace."  This  was  the  brown  rat  so 
familiar  all  over  the  world. 

Migrations  The  habit  of  rats  to  migrate  in  numbers,  ap- 
of  Bats,  parently  well  ordered,  and  under  leadership,  has 
often  been  noticed,  and  the  way  in  which  they  will  leave  a 
burning  house  or  a  sinking  ship  has  often  been  recorded.  These 
companies  will  as  a  rule  pass  on  their  own  way,  and  mind 
their  own  business  if  unmolested,  but  instances  are  recorded 
of  their  attacking  and  severely  biting  those  who  have  opposed 
their  progress.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ferryman,  who  resided  at  Quorn 
in  Leicestershire  and  who  made  somewhat  of  a  study  of  rats, 
was  walking  in  a  meadow  one  evening  when  he  observed  a 
large  number  of  rats  in  the  act  of  migrating  from  one  place 
to  another.  He  stood  perfectly  still,  and  the  whole  assem- 
blage passed  close  to  him.  His  astonishment,  however,  was 
great  when  he  saw  amongst  the  number  an  old,  blind  rat, 
which  held  one  end  of  a  piece  of  stick  in  its  mouth  while 


THE  RAT.  231 

another  rat  had  hold  of  the  other  end  of  it,  and  thus  con- 
ducted its  blind  companion. 

Ttie  Some  remarkable  illustrations  of  the  intelligence 

intelligence  of  rats  have  been  recorded  from  time  to  time, 
of  Bats,  »phe  following  which  occurred  recently  seems  to 
show  both  thought  and  reason.  A  Burley  rat  found  a  dead 
hen  in  a  field,  one  evening,  and  departed  to  inform  his 
brethren  of  the  discovery,  when  a  gentleman,  who  afterwards 
reported  the  incident  to  the  Leeds  JSvening  Post — removed 
the  prize,  which  the  speedy  return  of  half-a-dozen  rats  was 
too  late  to  secure.  The  first  rat  plainly  evinced  his  dis- 
appointment, but  his  friends  suspected  him  of  hoaxing  them, 
turned  upon  him  suddenly,  and  in  a  few  moments  he  was 
as  dead  as  the  chicken  which  had  disappeared,  and  was  left 
lying  on  almost  the  same  spot  which  it  had  occupied.  Captain 
Brown  tells  the  following  story  of  the  ingenuity  of  the  rat  in 
self-preservation.  "  During  the  great  flood  of  September,  the  4th, 
1829,  when  the  river  Tyne  was  at  its  height,  a  number  of 
people  were  assembled  on  its  margin.  A  swan  at  last  appeared, 
having  a  black  spot  on  its  plumage,  which  the  spectators  were 
surprised  to  find,  on  a  nearer  approach,  was  a  live  rat.  It 
is  probable  it  had  been  borne  from  its  domicile  on  some  hay 
rick,  and,  observing  the  swan,  had  made  for  it  as  an  ark  of 
safety.  When  the  swan  reached  the  land,  the  rat  leapt  from 
its  back,  and  scampered  away. 

Saved  by  a  Perhaps  no  better  example  of  the  intelligence 
Bat.  of  the  rat  could  be  given  than  that  afforded  by 
the  incident  quoted  by  Jesse  from  Mr.  Ferryman.  Mr.  Ferry- 
man records  that  he  had  an  old  friend,  a  clergyman,  of 
retired  and  studious  habits.  When  sitting  in  his  room  one 
day,  he  saw  an  English  rat  come  out  of  a  hole  at  the  bottom 
of  the  wainscot ;  and  threw  it  a  piece  of  bread.  In  process 
of  time,  he  so  familiarised  the  animal,  that  it  became  per- 
fectly tame,  ran  about  him,  was  his  constant  companion,  and 
appeared  much  attached  to  him.  He  was  in  the  habit  of 


232  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

reading  in  bed  at  night;  and  was  on  one  occasion  awoke 
by  feeling  a  sharp  bite  on  his  cheek,  when  he  discovered 
the  curtains  of  his  bed  to  be  on  fire.  He  made  his  escape, 
but  his  house  was  burnt  down,  and  he  saw  no  more  of  his 
rat.  He  was,  however,  convinced,  and  remained  so  for  the 
rest  of  his  life,  that  his  old  companion  had  saved  him  from 
being  burnt  to  death,  by  biting  his  cheek ;  and  thus  making 
him  aware  of  his  danger. 

The  Mouse.  The  mouse  is  a  much  more  popular  animal 
than  the  rat,  though  taking  its  size  and  numbers  into  account 
it  is  scarcely  less  destructive.  No  one  weeps  when  the  rat 
suffers  capital  punishment,  but  many  a  tear  has  been  shed 
over  a  "dear  little  mouse".  The  house  mouse  is  too  well 
known  to  need  description.  Like  rats,  mice  appear  to  act  in 
companies,  either  under  leadership  or  by  common  consent. 
Mrs.  Bowdich  describes  a  number  of  mice  which  she  observed 
during  an  illness  frequently  emerge  from  her  bed-room  closet 
and  gravely  form  themselves  into  a  circle  and  apparently 
hold  a  council.  That  they  frequently  combine  to  effect 
purposes  which  they  are  unable  to  accomplish  singly  is  well 
known.  Mrs.  Bowdich  describes  an  attempt  made  by  a 
combined  force  of  mice  to  get  possession  of  the  dainties 
provided  for  her  as  she  approached  convalescence.  These 
were  placed  under  tin  covers  upon  a  chest  of  drawers,  and 
the  mice  were  evidently  of  opinion  that  if  they  could  only 
climb  to  the  top  of  these  covers  they  would  find  them  open 
like  a  basin,  and  so  effect  an  entry.  Unable  to  gain  a  footing 
on  the  smooth  metal  sides,  "  they  mounted  upon  each  other's 
shoulders  and  so  accomplished  the  feat",  though  Like  arctic 
explorers  they  failed  to  find  an  open  sea  and  were  compelled 
to  return  with  disappointment.  An  organised  attempt  to 
remove  a  cover  from  the  bottom,  when,  on  one  occasion,  it 
had  not  been  firmly  set  down,  resulted  in  an  accident  similar 
to  those  incident  to  human  engineering,  for  the  cover  slipped 
and  many  tiny  hands  were  severely  pinched.  After  this 


THE  MOUSE.  233 

they  abandoned  their  attempts  though  a  single  mouse  would 
occasionally  reconnoitre  the  scene,  apparently  unsatisfied  with 
the  defeat.  Mice,  like  many  other  animals,  are  said  to  be 
much  affected  by  music. 

rpkQ  The   harvest  mouse  is  a  most  interesting  little 

Harvest     creature;    whose   habits   are    thus    described    by 
Mouse.      White  of  Selborne .  _  «  They  build  their  nest  amidst 

the  straws  of  the  corn  above  the  ground,  and  sometimes  in 
thistles.  They  breed  as  many  as  eight  at  a  litter,  in  a  little 
round  nest  composed  of  the  blades  of  grass  or  wheat.  One  of 
these  I  procured  this  autumn,  most  artificially  plaited,  and 
composed  of  the  blades  of  wheat,  perfectly  round,  and  about 
the  size  of  a  cricket  ball,  with  the  aperture  so  ingeniously 
closed  that  there  is  no  discovering  to  what  part  it  belonged. 
It  was  so  compact  and  well  filled  that  it  would  roll  across 
the  table  without  being  discomposed,  though  it  contained 
eight  little  mice  that  were  naked  and  blind.  As  this  nest 
was  perfectly  full,  how  could  the  dam  come  at  her  litter 
respectively  so  as  to  administer  a  teat  to  each?  Perhaps 
she  opens  different  places  for  that  purpose,  adjusting  them 
again  when  the  business  is  over;  but  she  could  not  possibly 
be  contained,  herself,  in  the  ball  with  her  young,  which  more- 
over would  be  daily  increasing  in  bulk.  This  procreant 
cradle — an  elegant  instance  of  the  efforts  of  instinct — was  found 
in  a  wheat  field,  suspended  in  the  head  of  a  thistle." 
The  Field  There  are  two  kinds  of  field  mice,  the  long- 
Mouse,  tailed  and  the  short-tailed  varieties.  The  long- 
tailed  field  mouse  is  the  mouse  immortalised  by  Burns,  and 
is  found  throughout  Europe.  The  short-tailed  variety  occupies 
much  the  same  geographical  area,  though  it  probably  extends 
further.  The  latter  are  very  destructive,  and  have  sometimes 
increased  to  such  an  extent,  that  organised  efforts  have  had 
to  be  made  to  exterminate  it. 

The  The  common  dormouse,  and  the  greater  dor- 

Dormouse,   mouse  are  the  principal  varieties  of  this  interesting 


234  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

little  animal.  They  resemble  the  squirrel  in  appearance  as 
well  as  iu  some  of  their  habits.  They  live  in  trees,  where 
they  construct  nests,  on  nuts,  acorns,  fruits,  insects,  birds  and 
eggs,  and  squirrel-like  rest  upon  their  hindquarters  when 
eating,  holding  their  food  between  their  forepaws.  They 
lay  up  store  for  the  winter  and  become  torpid  in  the  cold 
weather,  rolling  themselves  into  a  ball,  in  which  condition 
they  may  be  handled  without  disturbance  or  injury.  The 
common  dormouse  is  found  all  over  Europe,  the  greater 
dormouse  occupying  a  still  more  extended  area. 

The  Jerboa.  The  Jerboa  is  a  curious  little  animal  with  the 
body  of  a  mouse  and  hind  legs  which  resemble  those  of  the 
kangaroo  in  appearance.  There  are  several  varieties,  one 
belonging  to  Southern  Russia,  one  to  the  deserts  of  Egypt, 
Nubia,  Arabia,  Barbary  and  Tartary,  and  one  to  North 
America.  They  live  in  burrows  which  they  construct  with 
great  care  and  industry.  They  are  naturally  timid  and  make 
for  their  holes  on  the  slightest  disturbance,  leaping  kangaroo 
fashion  sometimes  as  high  as  five  feet,  and  so  swiftly  as  to 
be  very  difficult  of  capture.  They  have  very  long  tails. 

The  Beaver.  There  are  two  species  of  the  beaver,  the 
European  beaver,  and  the  American  beaver.  The  former  is 
most  numerous  in  Siberia,  Tartary,  and  the  Caucasus  but  is 
also  occasionally  found  in  Central  Europe.  The  American 
beaver  is  found  throughout  North  America  where  it  is  eagerly 
hunted  for  the  sake  of  its  fur. 

The  European  The  following  anonymous  paragraph  cut  from 
Beaver.  a  newspaper,  but  likely  enough  quoted  from  some 
standard  Natural  History,  perhaps  that  of  Messrs.  Cassell 
and  Co.,  throws  some  light  upon  the  present  condition  of  the 
European  beaver. 

"  There  are  still  some  naturalists  who  assert  that  the  beaver 
has  ceased  to  exist  in  France.  This,  however,  is  a  mistake; 
an  animal  of  that  species  was  caught  a  short  time  ago  in  the 
Herault,  and  is  now  being  exhibited  at  Montpelier.  Beavers 


THE   BEAVER.  235 

do  not  live  in  Europe  in  large  companies  or  herds  as  they 
do  in  America,  but  only  in  solitude,  and  in  this  state  they 
haunt  secondary  rivers,  such  as  the  Gard  and  the  Garden. 
There  are  a  few  on  the  banks  and  islands  of  the  Rhone, 
but  as  these  creatures  are  averse  to  noise,  the  splashing  of 
the  steamers  plying  to  and  fro  has  driven  most  of  them  away. 
They  give  a  decided  preference  to  such  streams  as  are  over- 
shadowed by  the  willow,  of  the  bark  of  which  they  are  ex- 
ceedingly fond.  The  beaver  is  also  to  be  found  as  far  north 
as  the  Saone,  in  those  valleys  where  there  is  peat-ground. 
It  lives  in  Spain,  in  Italy,  and  in  Greece,  but  always  solitary 
and  fugitive.  This  curious  animal  is  not  only  called  Castor 
Americanus,  but  also  Castor  Gallicus,  and  not  without  reason, 
since  the  fossil  remains  of  the  genus  are  sufficient  to  attest 
their  having  been  very  numerous  in  France  at  some  remote 
period.  The  little  stream  of  the  Bievre  derives  its  name 
from  its  having  been  the  habitat  of  these  creatures ;  its 
resemblance  to  the  English  name  beaver  need  hardly  be 
alluded  to.  In  Europe  this  amphibious  animal  does  not  build 
those  substantial  and  commodious  dwellings  which  have  ren- 
dered it  so  celebrated,  because  the  rapacity  and  spirit  of 
destruction  so  common  in  man  have  made  it  suspicious  and 
cautious." 

The  American  Writing  of  the  American  Beaver  Dr.  Godman 
Beaver.  says: — "Beavers  are  not  particular  in  the  site 
they  select  for  the  establishment  of  their  dwellings,  but  if  in 
a  lake  or  pond,  where  a  dam  is  not  required,  they  are  careful 
to  build  where  the  water  is  sufficiently  deep.  In  standing 
waters,  however,  they  have  not  the  advantage  afforded  by  a 
current  for  the  transportation  of  their  supplies  of  wood,  which, 
when  they  build  on  a  running  stream,  is  always  cut  higher 
up  than  the  place  of  their  residence,  and  floated  down.  The 
materials  used  for  the  construction  of  their  dams  are  the 
trunks  and  branches  of  small  birch,  mulberry,  willow,  and 
poplar  trees.  They  begin  to  cut  down  their  timber  for  build- 


236  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

ing  early  in  the  summer,  but  their  edifices  are  not  commenced 
until  about  the  middle  or  latter  part  of  August,  and  are  not 
completed  until  the  beginning  of  the  cold  season.  The  strength 
of  their  teeth,  and  their  perseverance  in  this  work,  may  be 
fairly  estimated  by  the  size  of  the  trees  they  cut  down.  Dr. 
Best  informs  us,  that  he  has  seen  a  mulberry  tree,  eight 
inches  in  diameter,  which  had  been  gnawed  down  by  the 
beaver.  The  figure  of  the  dam  varies  according  to  circum- 
stances. Should  the  current  be  very  gentle,  the  dam  is  carried 
nearly  straight  across ;  but  when  the  stream  is  swiftly  flowing, 
it  is  uniformly  made  with  a  considerable  curve,  having  the 
convex  part  opposed  to  the  current.  Along  with  the  trunks 
and  branches  of  trees  they  intermingle  mud  and  stones,  to 
give  greater  security ;  and  when  dams  have  been  long  undis- 
turbed and  frequently  repaired,  they  acquire  great  solidity, 
and  their  power  of  resisting  the  pressure  of  water  and 
ice  is  greatly  increased  by  the  trees  occasionally  taking 
root,  and  eventually  growing  up  into  something  of  a  regular 
hedge. 

"The  dwellings  of  the  beaver  are  formed  of  the  same 
materials  as  their  dams,  and  are  very  rude,  though  strong,  and 
adapted  in  size  to  the  number  of  their  inhabitants.  These 
are  seldom  more  than  four  old  and  six  or  eight  young  ones. 
Double  that  number  have  been  occasionally  found  in  one  of 
the  lodges,  though  this  is  by  no  means  a  very  common 
circumstance.  When  building  their  houses,  they  place  most 
of  the  wood  crosswise,  and  nearly  horizontally,  observing  no 
other  order  than  that  of  leaving  a  cavity  in  the  middle. 
Branches  which  project  inward  are  cut  off  with  their  teeth, 
and  thrown  among  the  rest.  The  houses  are  by  no  means 
built  of  sticks  first  and  then  plastered,  but  all  the  materials, 
sticks,  mud,  and  stones,  if  the  latter  can  be  procured,  are 
mixed  up  together,  and  this  composition  is  employed  from 
the  foundation  to  the  summit.  The  mud  is  obtained  from  the 
adjacent  banks  or  bottom  of  the  stream  or  pond  near  the 


THE  SQUIRREL.  237 

door  of  the  hut.     Mud  and  stones  the  beaver  always  carries 
by  holding  them  between  his  fore  paws  and  throat. 

"Their  work  is  all  performed  at  night,  and  with  much 
expedition.  As  soon  as  any  part  of  the  material  is  placed 
where  it  is  intended  to  remain,  they  turn  round  and  give  it 
a  smart  blow  with  the  tail.  The  same  sort  of  blow  is  struck 
by  them  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  when  they  are  in  the 
act  of  diving.  The  outside  of  the  hut  is  covered  or  plastered 
with  mud  late  in  the  autumn,  and  after  frost  has  begun  to 
appear.  By  freezing  it  soon  becomes  almost  as  hard  as  stone, 
and  effectually  excludes  their  great  enemy,  the  wolverine, 
during  the  winter." 

The  Squirrel.  The  family  of  the  Squirrel  is  a  very  large  one 
and  with  it  are  included  the  marmots,  the  prairie  dogs,  and 
the  anomalures,  the  latter  of  which  form  a  sub-family.  The 
common  squirrel,  the  variety  familiar  in  England,  is  a  pretty 
little  creature  with  its  bright  piercing  eyes,  and  knowing  look, 
and  its  graceful  bushy  tail.  It  is  one  of  the  most  agile  of 
animals,  ascending  and  descending  trees  with  the  rapidity  of 
a  flash  and  so  sensitive,  that  it  is  said  that  if  the  tree  upon 
which  its  nests  is  only  touched  at  the  bottom  it  takes  alarm 
and  seeks  safety  on  another  tree.  It  builds  its  nests  in  the 
forks  of  branches  of  trees, — of  moss,  twigs,  and  dried  leaves, 
— and  leaps  great  distances  from  tree  to  tree.  The  ground 
squirrel  is  characterised  by  fine  longitudinal  black  bands  on 
its  back,  which  form  a  very  pretty  marking.  It  belongs 
chiefly  to  North  America.  "  It  lives  in  villages  under  ground," 
says  an  American  writer,  "and  plunders  the  farmers  worse 
than  the  gopher.  Every  two  months  the  ground  squirrel 
breeds  and  neither  State  premiums  nor  strychnine  diminishes 
its  numbers.  It  levies  an  assessment  of  thirty  per  cent 
on  the  profits  of  a  wheat  crop  in  many  sections." 

The  flying  squirrel,  also  common  in  the  United  Slates,  has 
a  membranous  skin  which  extends  from  the  fore  limbs  along 
the  body  to  the  hind  limbs  by  which  its  body  is  buoyed  up 


238  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

as  it  descends  obliquely  through  the  air  from  the  tree  to 
the  ground,  the  tail  operating  as  a  rudder.  One  species 
of  the  flying  squirrel  is  found  in  Europe  and  several  in 
India. 

The  Squirrel  Mr.  Head  gives  a  graphic  description  of  his  expe- 
at  Home,  riences  with  a  squirrel  in  the  Canadian  woods. 
He  says : — "  I  was  waiting  the  approach  of  a  large  flock  of 
wild  fowl,  but  a  little  villain  of  a  squirrel  on  the  bough  of  a 
tree  close  to  me,  seemed  to  have  determined  that  even  now 
I  should  not  rest  in  quiet,  for  he  sputtered  and  chattered 
with  so  much  vehemence,  that  he  attracted  the  attention  of 
my  dog,  whom  I  could  scarcely  control.  The  vagrant  inattention 
of  my  dog  was  truly  mortifying;  he  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  squirrel,  now  so  noisy  as  to  be  quite  intolerable.  With 
my  hand,  I  made  a  motion  to  threaten  him,  but  the  little 
beast  actually  set  up  his  back,  and  defied  me,  becoming  even 
more  passionate  and  noisy  than  before,  till  all  of  a  sudden, 
as  if  absolutely  on  purpose  to  alarm  the  game,  down  he  let 
himself  drop,  plump  at  once  within  a  couple  of  yards  of 
Rover's  nose.  This  was  too  much  for  any  four-footed  animal 
to  bear,  so  he  gave  a  bounce  and  sprang  at  the  impertinent 
squirrel,  who,  in  one  second,  was  safe  out  of  his  reach,  cock- 
ing his  tail,  and  showing  his  teeth  on  the  identical  bough 
where  he  had  sat  before.  Away  flew  all  the  wild  fowl,  and 
my  sport  was  completely  marred.  My  gun  went  involuntarily 
to  my  shoulder  to  shoot  the  squirrel.  At  the  same  moment, 
I  felt  I  was  about  to  commit  an  act  of  sheer  revenge,  on  a 
little  courageous  animal  which  deserved  a  better  fate.  As  if 
aware  of  my  hesitation,  he  nodded  his  head  with  rage,  and 
stamped  his  fore  paws  on  the  tree:  while  in  his  chirruping, 
there  was  an  intonation  of  sound,  which  seemed  addressed 
to  an  enemy  for  whom  he  had  an  utter  contempt.  What 
business,  I  could  fancy  he  said,  had  I  there,  trespassing  on 
his  domain,  and  frightening  his  wife  and  little  family,  for 
whom  he  was  ready  to  lay  down  his  life?  There  he  would 


THE   SQUIRREL.  239 

sit  in  spite  of  me,  and  make  my  ears  ring  with  the  sound 
of  his  war  whoop,  till  the  spring  of  life  should  cease  to  bubble 
in  his  little  heart." 

Tame  Captain  Brown  tells  of  a  gentleman  who  had  a 

Squirrels,  tame  squirrel,  who  used  to  run  up  his  legs  and 
enter  his  pocket  when  he  saw  him  preparing  to  go  out. 
From  this  safe  retreat  the  squirrel  often  poked  his  head  and 
peeped  at  the  people  as  they  passed,  but  never  ventured  to 
emerge  until  the  crowded  thoroughfares  were  passed.  When 
they  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  however,  the  squirrel 
leaped  to  the  ground,  ran  along  the  road,  ascended  trees  and 
hedges,  with  the  quickness  of  lightning,  and  nibbled  at  the 
leaves  and  bark.  If  the  gentleman  walked  on,  it  would 
descend,  scamper  after  him,  and  again  enter  his  pocket.  On 
hearing  a  carriage  or  cart,  it  became  much  alarmed,  and  always 
hid  itself  till  it  had  passed  by.  This  gentleman  had  a  dog, 
between  which  and  the  squirrel  a  certain  enmity  existed. 
Whenever  the  dog  lay  asleep,  the  squirrel  would  show  its 
teasing  disposition,  by  rapidly  descending  from  its  box,  scampering 
over  the  dog's  body,  and  quickly  mounting  to  its  box  again. 
Another  squirrel  who  frequented  his  master's  pocket,  on 
one  occasion  rendered  important  service.  One  evening, 
as  was  his  practice,  when  his  master's  coat  was  taken 
off  and  hung  behind  a  door,  the  squirrel  ran  up  the  door 
and  took  up  his  quarters  in  the  familiar  pocket,  carrying  with 
him  a  supply  of  tow  with  which  to  make  himself  comfortable 
for  the  night  After  all  the  family  had  retired  to  rest,  a 
burglar  made  his  appearance,  effected  an  entrance,  and 
proceeded  to  examine  the  pockets  of  the  coat  hanging  to  the 
door.  Putting  his  hand  rather  unceremoniously  into  the 
squirrel's  bedroom  the  robber  received  such  a  sharp  and 
unexpected  bite  that  he  could  not  forbear  to  cry  out  and 
the  master  of  the  house,  aroused  by  the  unusual  sound, 
entered  the  room,  armed  with  a  poker,  just  in  time  to  secure 
the  thief  as  he  was  escaping  through  the  window. 


240  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  Marmot  Marmots  are  found  in  the  northern  parts  cf 
The  Bobak.  both  the  old  and  the  new  worlds.  The  Bobak 
The  Prairie  belongs  to  southern  Russia,  the  Prairie  Dog  to 

SflflE 

North  America  and  the  Woodchuck  to  Canada. 
The  marmot  is  easily  tamed  and  is  familiar  to  many  from 
being  made  the  companion  of  itinerant  Savoyards  who  exhibit 
them  when  asking  amis.  The  Bobak  is  also  readily  amen- 
able to  kindness.  All  these  animals  live  in  burrows  and  are 
exceedingly  interesting  in  their  habits.  The  anomalure  is  a 
squirrel  with  a  membranous  skin  resembling  to  some  extent 
that  of  the  flying  squirrels  and  used  by  it  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. It  belongs  to  Fernando  Po. 

The  The  Chinchilla  is  about  nine  inches  long,  its 

chinchilla,  tail  being  about  five  inches.  Its  eyes  are  full, 
like  those  of  the  rabbit,  its  hind  legs  are  long,  its  fore  ones 
short  It  sits  upon  its  haunches,  and  takes  its  food  in  its 
fore  paws.  It  is  found  in  Chili  and  Peru,  and  inhabits  the 
open  country,  living  in  burrows,  and  subsisting  on  the  roots 
of  bulbous  plants,  which  are  abundant  in  those  regions. 
Great  numbers  of  them  are  killed  for  their  skins,  which  furnish 
the  most  delicate  and  beautiful  of  furs.  The  Alpine  Viscacha 
and  the  Viscacha  of  the  Pampas,  are  included  in  the  same 
family. 

The  The  Porcupine  is  found  throughout  Africa  and 

Porcupine,  southern  Asia  and  also  in  the  south  of  Europe. 
"Less  completely  covered  with  weapons  of  defence  than  the 
hedgehog,"  says  Captain  Brown,  "the  porcupine  possesses 
them  in  greater  strength,  for  its  formidable  quills  are  capable 
of  inflicting  severe  wounds.  When  irritated  or  in  danger  it 
raises  its  quills  on  its  back ;  but  it  is  though  fretful,  not  fierce 
in  disposition  but  easily  tamed."  When  cornered  the  por- 
cupine turns  its  back  to  its  assailant,  who  usually  wounds 
himself  by  coming  hi  contact  with  the  quills.  The  porcupine 
lives  in  burrows  by  itself;  it  is  a  lonely  animal.  The  Cavies 
and  the  Agouti  of  America  are  classified  with  this  family. 


HARES   AND   RABBITS.  24! 

Among  the  former  is  the  Capybara,  the  largest  of  the  rodents, 
an  animal  which  attains  to  from  three  to  four  feet  in  length. 
It  belongs  to  Brazil,  Guinea,  and  Paraguay.  The  Canadian 
porcupine,  and  the  Brazilian  porcupine,  are  tree  porcupines 
and  are  only  found  in  America. 
The  Guinea  The  Guinea  Pig  (Cavia  Cobaya)  is  said  to  be 

Pi«.  the  domestic  form  of  the  Cavia  Aperea  of  Brazil 
and  Peru.  It  derives  its  name  from  its  supposed  place  of 
origin,  as  it  was  said  to  have  been  first  introduced  into  England 
from  Guinea,  It  is  tailless,  but  clean  and  neat  in  ap- 
pearance, being  marked  with  black,  white,  and  orange  colours. 
It  is  said  to  lack  intelligence  and  to  be  destitute  of  attach- 
ment, suffering  its  young  to  be  destroyed  without  resistance. 
Perhaps  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  it  has  so  many ;  it  breeds 
at  intervals  of  two  months  and  produces  from  three  to  twelve 
young  ones  at  a  birth. 

Hares  and  We  come  now  to  the  second  sub-order  of  the 
Rabbits.  Rodents  or  animals  that  gnaw,  the  Duplicidentati, 
the  rodents  having  four  incisor  teeth  in  the  upper  jaw.  This 
brings  us  to  the  Hares  and  Rabbits,  of  which  there  are  nu- 
merous species,  the  Common  Hare,  the  Irish  or  Mountain 
Hare  and  the  Common  Rabbit  being  the  best  known.  The 
Irish  or  Mountain  Hare  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  common 
hare  and  changes  from  brown  to  white  in  the  winter.  The 
Sardinian,  the  Egyptian,  the  Polar,  and  the  Sage  hares  are 
other  varieties. 

The  The  Common  Hare  is   a  familiar  animal  and 

Common    needs    no    description.     It   is    found  throughout 

e'       Europe    and    is    well    known   in   England.     The 

hare  hides  during  the  day  under  cover  of  low  foliage,  ferns, 

and  the  undergrowth  of  preserves,  in  spots  known  as  '  forms '. 

Its  habit  of  making  a  definite  track  from  its  form  to  its  feeding 

grounds   and   of  always   following  its  own  track  makes  it  an 

easy  sacrifice  to  those  who  know  its  ways.     It  is  exceedingly 

swift  in  its  movements,   and  it  is  well  that  it  is  so,  for  its 

16 


24*  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

only  safety  is  in  flight  and  in  the  sagacity  and  cunning  it 
shows  in  eluding  its  pursuers.  Many  illustrations  of  the  latter 
have  been  recorded.  Fouilloux  mentions  a  hare  which  he 
saw  start  from  its  form  at  the  sound  of  a  hunter's  horn, 
run  towards  a  pool  of  water  at  a  considerable  distance,  plunge 
in  and  swim  to  some  rushes  in  the  middle,  and  there  lay  down 
and  conceal  itself  from  the  pursuit  of  the  dogs.  Another 
hare,  when  closely  pressed  passed  under  a  gate,  the  dogs 
leaping  over  it.  The  hare  quickly  perceived  the  advantage 
it  had  gained  by  this,  and  so  doubled,  returning  under  the 
gate,  the  dogs  following  over  it  as  before.  This  was  repeated 
several  times  until  taking  advantage  of  the  exhaustion  of  the 
dogs  the  hare  escaped.  The  hare  will  often  run  perfectly 
straight  while  in  view  of  the  hounds,  but  immediately  on 
gaining  the  slightest  cover  will  double,  and  redouble  with 
astonishing  rapidity,  apparently  to  confuse  the  scent 

The  following  anecdote  seems  to  show  remark- 

Inteiiigenoe  able  intelligence  on  the   part  of  a  hare.     It  is 

of  the       from   a  statement  made   by   Mr.  Yarrell  in  the 

ECaro 

"  Magazine  of  Natural  History  " : — "  A  harbour 
of  great  extent  on  our  southern  coast  has  an  island  near  the 
middle,  of  considerable  size,  the  nearest  point  of  which  is  a 
mile  distant  from  the  mainland  at  high  water,  and  with  which 
point  there  is  frequent  communication  by  a  ferry.  Early  one 
morning  in  spring  two  hares  were  observed  to  come  down 
from  the  hills  of  the  mainland  towards  the  seaside,  one  of 
which  from  time  to  time  left  its  companion,  and  proceeding 
to  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  stopped  there  a  minute  or 
two,  and  then  returned  to  its  mate.  The  tide  was  rising, 
and  after  waiting  some  time,  one  of  them,  exactly  at  high 
water,  took  to  the  sea,  and  swam  rapidly  over,  in  a  straight 
line,  to  the  opposite  projecting  point  of  land.  The  observer 
on  this  occasion,  who  was  near  the  spot,  but  remained 
unperceived  by  the  hares,  had  no  doubt  that  they  were  of 
different  sexes,  and  that  it  was  the  male — like  another  Lean- 


Plate  No.  12 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


( Castor  canadensis ) 


HARES   AND   RABBITS.  243 

der — which  swam  across  the  water,  as  he  had  probably  done 
many  times  before.  It  was  remarkable  that  the  hares  had 
remained  on  the  shore  nearly  half  an  hour,  one  of  them 
occasionally  examining,  as  it  would  seem,  the  state  of  the 
current,  a*nd  ultimately  taking  to  the  sea  at  that  precise  period 
of  the  tide  called  slack  water,  when  the  passage  across  could 
be  effected  without  being  carried  by  the  force  of  the  stream 
either  above  or  below  the  desired  point  of  landing.  The 
other  hare  then  cantered  back  to  the  hills." 
A  Hunted  The  following  story  of  a  hunted  hare  is  from 
Hare.  «  The  Annals  of  Sporting, "  for  May  1822 :— «  Two 
years  ago,  a  doe  hare  produced  two  young  ones  in  a  field 
adjoining  my  cottage;  and  the  three  were  occasionally  seen, 
during  the  summer,  near  the  same  spot.  But  the  leverets 
were,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  killed  at  the  latter  end  of 
September  of  the  same  year;  the  old  doe  hare  was  also 
coursed,  and  making  directly  for  my  cottage,  entered  the 
garden,  and  there  blinked  the  dogs.  I  repeatedly  afterwards 
saw  her  sitting,  sometimes  in  the  garden,  (which  is  one 
hundred  and  ten  yards  by  forty-three,)  but  more  frequently 
in  the  garden-hedge.  She  was  repeatedly  seen  by  greyhounds 
when  she  sat  at  some  distance,  but  uniformly  made  for  the 
garden,  and  never  failed  to  find  security.  About  the  end  of 
the  following  January,  puss  was  no  longer  to  be  seen  about 
,the  garden,  as  she  had  probably  retired  to  some  distance 
with  a  male  companion.  One  day,  in  February,  I  heard  the 
hounds,  and  shortly  afterwards  observed  a  hare  making  towards 
the  garden,  which  it  entered  at  a  place  well  known,  and  left 
not  the  least  doubt  on  my  mind,  that  it  was  my  old  acquaintance, 
which,  in  my  family,  was  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Kitty. 
The  harriers  shortly  afterwards  came  in  sight,  followed  Kitty, 
and  drove  her  from  the  garden.  I  became  alarmed  for  the 
safety  of  my  poor  hare,  and  heartily  wished  the  dogs  might 
come  to  an  irrecoverable  fault.  The  hare  burst  away  with 
the  fleetness  of  the  wind,  and  was  followed  breast  high,  by 


244  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

her  fierce  and  eager  pursuers.  In  about  twenty  minutes  I 
observed  Kitty  return  towards  the  garden,  apparently  much 
exhausted,  and  very  dirty.  She  took  shelter  beneath  a  small 
heap  of  sticks,  which  lay  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
kitchen  door.  No  time  was  to  be  lost,  as,  by  the  cry  of 
the  hounds,  I  was  persuaded  they  were  nearly  in  sight.  I 
took  a  fishing-net,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the  servant, 
covered  poor  Kitty,  caught  her,  and  conveyed  the  little, 
panting,  trembling  creature  into  the  house.  The  harriers 
were  soon  at  the  spot,  but  no  hare  was  to  be  found.  I  am 
not  aware  that  I  ever  felt  greater  pleasure  than  in  thus  saving 
poor  Kitty  from  her  merciless  pursuers.  Towards  evening  I 
gave  Kitty  her  liberty;  I  turned  her  out  in  the  garden,  and 
saw  her  not  again  for  some  time.  In  the  course  of  the 
following  summer,  however,  I  saw  a  hare  several  times,  which 
I  took  to  be  my  old  friend ;  and,  in  the  latter  end  of  October, 
Kitty  was  again  observed  in  the  garden.  Henceforward  she 
was  occasionally  seen  as  on  the  preceding  winter.  One 
morning,  in  January,  when  I  was  absent,  a  gun  was  fired  near 
my  cottage;  Kitty  was  heard  to  scream,  but,  nevertheless, 
entered  the  garden  vigorously.  The  matter  was  related  to 
me  on  my  return  home;  and  I  was  willing  to  hope  that  Kitty 
would  survive.  However,  I  had  some  doubt  on  the  subject; 
and,  the  next  morning,  as  soon  as  light  permitted,  I  explored 
the  garden,  and  found  that  my  poor  unfortunate  favourite 
had  expired;  she  was  stretched  beneath  a  large  goose- 
berry tree;  and  I  could  not  help  very  much  regretting  her 
death." 

Tame  Hares.  Though  exceedingly  timid  creatures  hares  are 
readily  tamed,  and  have  often  become  as  domesticated 
as  cats  and  dogs.  Cowper's  experiments  with  hares  will  natu- 
rally occur  to  the  reader,  besides  which  there  are  cases 
recorded  where  tame  hares  have  been  associated  in  domesti- 
city with  cats  and  even  sporting  dogs.  One  possessed  by 
Mr.  A.  S.  Moffat  was  thus  domiciled  and  would  feed  from 


TOOTHLESS  ANIMALS.  245 

the  same  plate  with  a  cat  and  a  dog.  This  hare  would  knock 
a  book  out  of  its  master's  hand  to  secure  his  attention. 
The  Common  The  Common  Rabbit  is  found  all  over  the 
Babbit.  British  Isles,  as  well  as  in  France  and  Spain; 
and  in  the  north  of  Africa  where  it  is  indigenous.  It  is 
smaller  than  the  hare  and  lives  in  burrows,  in  large  num- 
bers, completely  honey-combing  sand  hills  which  are  covered 
with  grass  and  vegetation.  Before  producing  her  young,  the 
female  forms  a  separate  burrow  where  she  conceals  them 
after  birth.  This  is  done  to  protect  them  from  the  male 
who  destroys,  if  he  discovers  them.  The  young  are  born 
blind  and  gain  their  sight  after  ten  days.  They  are  a  month 
old  before  they  are  allowed  to  leave  the  burrow. 

ORDER  XI.      Curiously    enough    this  order,    though  de- 
Toothiess      nominated  toothless,   includes  several  animals 
Animals.       which    have   well    developed   dental  arrange- 
ments.    In   these,  however,  the  teeth  are  not  found  in  the 
front   of  the  jaw,  and  those  which  are  found  are  elementary 
and  simple.    Several  families  are  classified  with  this  order,  of 
which  the  Sloth,  the  Pangolin,  the  Armadillo,  the  Cape  Ant- 
Bear,  and  the  Ant-Eater  are  the  best  known  representatives. 

The  Sloth.  The  Sloth  belongs  to  South  America.  "  In  its 
wild  state,"  says  Waterton,  "  the  Sloth  spends  its  whole  life  in 
the  trees,  and  never  leaves  them  but  through  force  or  acci- 
dent, and,  what  is  more  extraordinary,  not  upon  the  branches, 
like  the  squirrel  and  monkey,  but  under  them.  He  moves 
suspended  from  the  branch,  he  rests  suspended  from  the 
branch,  and  he  sleeps  suspended  from  the  branch. "  "  In  fact," 
says  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood,  "as  Sydney  Smith  observes,  he 
passes  a  life  of  suspense,  like  a  curate  distantly  related  to  a 
Bishop.  To  render  it  fit  for  this  singular  mode  of  life,  its 
long  and  powerful  arms  are  furnished  with  strong  curved 
daws,  which  hook  round  the  branches,  and  keep  the  animal 
suspended  without  any  effort.  When  on  the  ground,  these 
claws  are  very  inconvenient,  and  it  can  barely  shuffle 


246  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

along;  but  when  it  is  in  its  native  element,  it  moves  with 
exceeding  rapidity,  particularly  in  a  gale  of  wind,  when  it 
passes  from  branch  to  branch,  and  from  tree  to  tree,  with 
an  activity  which  its  movements  on  the  ground  by  no  means 
portend. " 

The  There    are   two    species   of  the   Pangolin,    or 

Pangolin.  Manis,  the  long-tailed  and  the  short-tailed,  the 
former  being  a  native  of  Africa  and  the  latter  of  the  East  Indies. 
The  long-tailed  manis  measures  about  five  feet  inclusive  of 
the  tail  which  is  about  three  feet  long,  the  short-tailed  manis 
about  four  feet  in  all.  All  the  upper  parts  of  its  body  are 
closely  covered  with  scales  of  different  sizes,  which,  as  they 
are  attached  to  the  skin  only  by  the  lower  extremity,  it  can 
erect  at  pleasure,  opposing  to  its  adversary  a  formidable  row 
of  offensive  weapons.  They  are  sharp  at  the  point,  and  so 
hard  as,  on  collision,  to  strike  fire  like  a  flint  The  moment 
it  perceives  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  it  rolls  itself  up  like 
a  hedgehog,  by  which  means  it  covers  all  the  weaker  parts 
of  its  body.  The  Pangolins  live  on  ants,  which  they  catch 
by  thrusting  their  long  slender  tongues  into  the  midst  of  their 
prey,  their  tongues  being  covered  by  a  gummy  saliva  to  which 
the  ants  adhere. 

The  The   Armadillo  is  a  native  of  South  America, 

Armadillo.  jn  which  country  there  are  several  varieties.     They 

are   all  covered   with   a  strong  crust  or  shell,  resembling,  as 

the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  puts  it,  "  the  modified  plate  armour  "  worn 

by  men  in  the  i6th  century.     They  eat  vegetables  and  insects, 

and  do   good   work  as  scavengers.     They  burrow  with  great 

rapidity  and  when  rolled  up,  after  the  manner  of  the  hedgehog, 

are  invulnerable  to  their  ordinary  enemies. 

The  Cape        The    Cape  Ant-Bear  belongs  to  the  "Cape  of 

Ant-Bear.    Good  Hope.     It  differs  from  the  ant-eaters  of  the 

western  world  in  many  ways,  being  a  hairy  animal  without 

scales,  its  head  resembling  that  of  the  deer  kind,  having  long 

ears  but  no  horns.    The  length  of  its  body  which  is  covered 


POUCHED   ANIMALS.  247 

with  bristles  is  about  four  feet,  and  its  feet  which  are  short, 
are  furnished  with  strong  claws  which  enable  it  to  excavate 
the  cavities  in  which  it  lives. 

The  Ant-        The   true    Ant-Eater   is    found    in    the  South 
Eater.       American  tropics.     The  Great  Ant-Eater  belongs 
to  La  Plata,  the  Little  Ant-Eater  to  the  Brazils.     The  Great 
Ant-Eater  is  four  feet  in  length,  without  its   tail,  which  is 
two    feet  six  inches  long.     The  true  ant-eater  like  the  Pan- 
golin  already  described  inserts  its  long  tongue  into  the  nest 
of  the   ant,    catching   its  little  victims   in   large  numbers   by 
the  sticky  mucus  which  covers  its  tongue. 
ORDER  XII      Of  tne  several  families  classed  in  this  order 
Pouched       the  opossums  and  the  kangaroos  are  the  most 
Animals,       familiar.     The  Dasyures  of  Tasmania  and  the 
Bandicoots  of  Australia  and  New  Guinea  also  belong  to  this 
order,  as  do  the  many  varieties  of  the  Phalanger  of  Australasia 
and  those  of  the  Wombat  of  Tasmania.     The  pouch  is  one 
of  the  most  remarkable   provisions  of  Nature,  the  young  of 
the  pouched   animals   being  small  and  of  imperfect  form  at 
birth    and    requiring    the    protection    of  the  pouch  for  their 
sustenance  and  development. 

The  The  common  Opossum,    which  is  a  native  of 

Opossum.  Virginia,  is  about  the  size  of  a  badger.  It  is 
provided  with  a  pouch,  in  which  it  carries  its  young,  and 
into  which  they  leap  on  the  approach  of  danger.  Its  covering 
is  a  coat  of  long  fur,  of  a  dingy  white  colour.  It  feeds  upon 
fish,  birds,  insects,  and  reptiles.  Its  tail  is  very  muscular,  and 
by  this  it  hangs  from  the  branches  of  trees  and,  watching  its 
prey,  lets  itself  fall  upon  its  victims  with  great  precision. 
Its  hind  feet  are  formed  something  like  hands,  by  which  it  is 
enabled  to  climb  with  wonderful  facility.  The  opossum  when 
caught  often  simulates  death  so  admirably  that  he  deceives 
his  captors  and  ultimately  escapes  them. 

The  The   Kangaroo  belongs  to  Australia  and  New 

Kangaroo.   Guinea.     The  length  of  its  body  is  from  four  to 


248  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

five  feet  six  inches;  its  fore  legs  are  very  short;  its  hind  ones 
very  long.  Its  tail  is  from  three  to  four  feet  in  length,  and  its 
strength  is  such,  that  a  stroke  of  it  will  break  a  man's  leg. 
The  Kangaroo  moves  by  great  leaps  or  bounds  of  from  twelve 
to  twenty  feet.  It  is  covered  with  a  short  soft  fur,  of  a  reddish 
ash-colour.  It  feeds  on  vegetables,  and  has  a  pouch  for  its 
young,  like  the  opossum.  Mr.  Cunningham  says:  "The 
Kangaroos  make  no  use  of  the  short  fore  legs,  except  in 
grazing.  When  chased,  they  hop  upon  their  hind  legs,  bound- 
ing onward  at  a  most  amazing  rate,  the  tail  wagging  up  and 
down  as  they  leap,  and  serving  them  for  a  balance.  They 
will  bound  over  gulleys  and  deep  declivities,  and  fly  right 
over  the  tops  of  low  brush  wood."  There  are  several  varieties 
of  this  animal;  one  of  which,  called  the  Rat  Kangaroo,  is 
only  the  size  of  a  rabbit ;  another,  called  the  Tree  Kangaroo, 
can  hop  about  on  trees  in  an  extraordinary  manner  and  is 
furnished  with  curved  claws,  on  its  fore  paws,  similar  to  those 
of  the  sloth,  by  which  he  can  lay  hold  of  the  branches. 

Kangaroo        Kangaroo  hunting  is  a  favourite  Australian  sport. 

Hunting,  it  is  not  unattended  with  danger  either  to  dogs 
or  men,  the  sharp  claws  and  powerful  hind  legs  of  the  animal 
making  it  a  formidable  enemy  at  close  quarters.  Dawson  in  his 
"Present  State  of  Australia"  says:  "A  full-sized  'wool  man' 
at  bay  always  sits  on  his  haunches,  and  when  he  rises  to 
move  forward,  he  stands  four,  or  four  and  a  half  feet  high. 
In  this  manner,  he  will,  when  pressed,  meet  a  man,  and  hug 
and  scratch  him,  if  not  to  death,  in  such  a  way  that  he  does 
not  soon  forget  it.  When  hard  pressed,  and  near  to  water, 
the  kangaroo  always  takes  it;  if  it  be  deep  water,  and  the 
dogs  follow  him,  one  or  the  other  is  almost  sure  to  be  drowned. 
If  a  single  dog,  the  kangaroo  is  nearly  certain  to  come  off 
victorious,  by  taking  his  assailant  in  his  fore  arms,  and  holding 
him  under  water  till  he  is  dead;  but,  if  he  has  two  dogs 
opposed  to  him,  he  is  not  left  at  liberty  to  hold  either  of 
his  opponents  long  enough  under  water  to  drown  him,  and 


ate  No.   13 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


TATOU 
(Priodbnta  gigas) 


m 


MONOTREMATA.  249 

he  generally  himself  falls  a  sacrifice,  after  a  long  and  hard 
struggle.  Notwithstanding  the  courage  and  ferocity  of  the 
kangaroo,  when  pressed,  he  is  otherwise  extremely  timid,  and 
more  easily  domesticated  than  any  wild  animal  with  which  I 
am  acquainted.  The  smaller  ones  are  frequently  quite  as 
swift  as  a  hare;  and  I  have  sometimes  seen  them  outstrip 
the  fleetest  dogs."  Young  and  inexperienced  dogs  are  almost 
sure  to  fall  victims  to  the  sharp  claw  and  powerful  hind  leg 
of  the  kangaroo,  with  one  stroke  of  which  he  will  rip  the  dog 
open  and  let  his  entrails  out. 
ORDER  XIII.  The  order  Monotremata  includes  two  fami- 

Monotremata.  lies,  the  Ornithorhynchidce  and  the  Echidni- 
da,  both  of  which  belong  to  Australia.  The  Duck-billed 
Platypus  belongs  to  the  former,  the  Australian  Hedgehog  to 
the  latter  family. 

Q^Q  The  Duck-billed   Platypus  is  one  if  the  most 

T)uok-bmed  singular  of  animals.     "When  it  was  first  introduced 

Platypus.  into  Europe,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "it  was  fully  believed 
to  be  the  manufacture  of  some  impostor,  who  with  much 
ingenuity  had  fixed  the  beak  of  a  duck  into  the  head  of 
some  unknown  animal.  It  will,  however,  be  seen  by 
examining  the  skull  of  the  animal,  that  this  duck-like  beak 
is  caused  by  a  prolongation  of  some  of  the  bones  of  the 
head. "  The  Platypus  lives  on  the  banks  of  rivers  in  burrows 
which  it  forms,  and  feeds  on  water  insects  and  small  shell 
fish.  It  is  web-footed  but  its  feet  are  so  constructed  that  it 
can  fold  back  the  web  when  it  wants  to  burrow,  and  unfold 
it  when  it  wants  to  swim.  The  hind  feet  of  the  male  are 
armed  with  a  sharp  spur. 

The  The  Australian  Hedgehog  is  about  a  foot  long. 

Australian  It  lives  in  burrows  and  feeds  on  insects,  has  a  long 
edge  og.  Dengue  but  no  teeth.     It  has  spines  from  which 
circumstance  it  is  called  a  hedgehog  after  its  English  name- 
sake,   though  its  spines  are  almost  hidden  by  its  hair.     It  is 
said  to  be  a  dull,  unintelligent  animal. 


THE  ANIMAL  KINGDOM. 

SUB-KINGDOM  VERTEBRATA. 
CLASS    n— AVES. 

Classification.  The  Birds  are  distinguished  from  the  Mammals 
by  many  obvious  characteristics,  chief  among  which  are  their 
bodily  form,  their  feathery  covering  and  their  manner  of 
producing  their  young  by  means  of  eggs.  The  Birds  form 
the  second  class  of  the  sub -kingdom  Vertebrata  and  according 
to  the  classification  followed  in  this  work  are  divided  into  ten 
orders.  These  orders  are,  I  Passeres :  birds  characterised  by 
the  habit  of  perching ;  II  Picariae :  birds  that  climb,  etc. 
Ill  Psittacini :  the  Parrots ;  IV  Columbse :  the  Doves ;  V 
Gallinae :  the  Fowls ;  VI  Opisthocomi :  the  Hoazin  of  Brazil 
and  Guinea;  VII  Accipitres:  the  Birds  of  Prey;  VIII  Gralla- 
tores :  the  birds  that  wade ;  IX  Anseres :  the  Birds  that  swim ; 
X  Struthiones :  the  Ostrich,  the  Emu,  etc.,  etc. 

ORDER  I.  ^e  sPecies  °f  ^is  order  are  very  numerous,  and 
Perching  have  been  variously  divided  by  different  authorities. 
Birds.  Mr.  Wallace  forms  them  into  five  groups,  which 
classification  we  shall  find  it  convenient  to  follow.  These 
five  groups  are:  I  The  Thrushes  and  Thrush-like  perching 
birds ;  II  The  Tanagers  and  similar  kinds ;  III  The  Starlings 
and  allied  species ;  IV  The  Ant-eaters,  etc.,  and  V  The  Lyre 
Birds,  and  the  Scrub  Birds  of  Australia.  The  first  group 
includes  many  well  known  feathered  favourites :  the  Thrush ; 
the  Blackbird;  the  Mocking  Bird;  the  Tailor  Bird;  the 
Wren;  the  Robin;  the  Nightingale;  the  Titmouse;  the 


PERCHING    BIRDS.  251 

Golden  Oriole ;  the  Jay ;  the  Magpie ;  the  Raven ;  the  Rook ; 
the  Carrion  Crow ;  the  Jackdaw ;  the  Chough ;  and  the  Bird 
of  Paradise.  The  second  group  includes  the  Swallow;  the 
Martin ;  the  Goldfinch ;  the  Linnet ;  the  Canary ;  the  Bull- 
finch ;  the  Bunting  and  many  others.  The  third  group  con- 
tains the  Starlings ;  the  Weaver  Bird ;  the  Lark ;  the  Wagtail, 
and  the  Pipits ;  the  fourth  group,  the  King  Bird  of  North 
America ;  the  Manakins  of  Guinea ;  the  Chatterers  of  South 
America ;  the  Bell  Bird  of  Brazil,  and  the  Umbrella  Bird  of 
the  Amazon.  The  fifth  group  contains  the  Lyre  Birds  and 
the  Scrub  Birds  of  Australia. 

The  The   order   of  Thrush-like  perching  birds  is  a 

Thrash.  veiy  large  one,  including  nearly  three  thousand 
known  varieties.  Of  these  it  will  be  impossible,  within  present 
limits,  to  even  mention  a  very  large  number,  and  we  shall 
content  ourselves  with  dealing  with  a  few  of  the  better  known 
species. 
The  Common  The  Thrush  is  one  of  the  most  popular  ot 

Thrush.  English  native  birds,  as  its  song  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  those  of  the  bird  kind.  It  is  a  herald  of 
the  English  spring  and  summer,  beginning  to  sing  at  the  end 
of  January  and  continuing  until  July.  It  builds  its  nest  in  a 
hedge  or  bush,  and,  as  it  breeds  early  in  the  year,  lines  it 
with  a  plaster  of  mud  to  protect  its  young  from  the  cold  winds. 
It  is  a  bold  bird  and  will  vigorously  defend  its  nest  from  the 
attacks  of  larger  birds.  It  feeds  on  insects,  snails  and  worms. 

"Watch  an  old  thrush,"  says  Dr.  Stanley,  "pounce  down 
on  a  lawn,  moistened  with  dew  and  rain.  At  first  he  stands 
motionless,  apparently  thinking  of  nothing  at  all,  his  eye 
vacant,  or  with  an  unmeaning  gaze.  Suddenly  he  cocks  his 
ear  on  one  side,  makes  a  glancing  sort  of  dart  with  his  head 
and  neck,  gives  perhaps  one  or  two  hops,  and  then  stops, 
again  listening  attentively,  and  his  eye  glistening  with  atten- 
tion and  animation ;  his  beak  almost  touches  the  ground, — 
he  draws  back  his  head  as  if  to  make  a  determined  peck. 


252  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Again  he  pauses ;  listens  again ;  hops,  perhaps  once  or  twice, 
scarcely  moving  his  position,  and  pecks  smartly  on  the  sod ; 
then  is  once  more  motionless  as  a  stuffed  bird.  But  he  knows 
well  what  he  is  about;  for,  after  another  moment's  pause, 
having  ascertained  that  all  is  right,  he  pecks  away  with  might 
and  main,  and  soon  draws  out  a  fine  worm,  which  his  fine 
sense  of  hearing  had  informed  him  was  not  far  off,  and  which 
his  hops  and  previous  peckings  had  attracted  to  the  surface, 
to  escape  the  approach  of  what  the  poor  worm  thought  might 
be  his  underground  enemy,  the  mole." 

The  Missel  The  Missel  Thrush,  so  called  from  its  fondness 
Thrush.  for  the  mistletoe,  is  larger  than  the  common  or 
song  thrush,  less  melodious  and  not  so  common  in  England, 
but  well  known  upon  the  continent  of  Europe.  Like  the 
song  thrush  it  finds  a  determined  enemy  in  the  magpie, 
against  which  it  often  defends  itself  with  success.  It  is,  how- 
ever, unable  to  withstand  a  combined  attack.  Gilbert  White 
says :  "The  Missel-thrush  is,  while  breeding,  fierce  and  pugna- 
cious, driving  such  birds  as  approach  its  nest  with  great  fury 
to  a  distance.  The  Welsh  call  it  "pen  y  llwyn,"  the  head 
or  master  of  the  coppice.  He  suffers  no  magpie,  jay,  or 
blackbird,  to  enter  the  garden  where  he  haunts;  and  is,  for 
the  tune,  a  good  guard  to  the  new-sown  legumens.  In  general, 
he  is  very  successful  in  the  defence  of  his  family;  but  once 
I  observed  in  my  garden,  that  several  magpies  came  deter- 
mined to  storm  the  nest  of  a  missel-thrush :  the  dams  defended 
their  mansion  with  great  vigour,  and  fought  resolutely  pro  arts 
et  focis ;  but  numbers  at  last  prevailed,  they  tore  the  nest  to 
pieces,  and  swallowed  the  young  alive." 

The  The  Blackbird  is  another  of  the  most  cherished 

Blackbird.  of  English  song  birds.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest 
to  wake  the  morning  with  a  song.  Its  habits  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Thrush  ;  it  builds  its  nest  in  bushes,  in  shrubberies 
and  gardens,  safe  from  the  sight,  but  close  to  the  haunts  of 
man.  It  lines  its  nest  with  a  plaster  of  mud  which  it  covers 


THE  THRUSH— THE  BLACKBIRD.  253 

over  with  dry  grass,  and  is  exemplary  in  the  care  of  its  young. 
It  has  a  black  coat  as  its  name  implies,  and  an  orange 
tawny  bill.  The  blackbird  has  to  some  extent  the  power 
of  the  mocking  bird,  of  imitating  the  sounds  it  hears, — such 
as  the  chuckling  of  a  hen,  the  song  of  the  nightingale,  the 
caw  of  the  crow.  In  the  "Magazine  of  Natural  History"  of 
September  1831,  Mr.  Bouchier  of  Wold  Rectory,  near  North- 
ampton, says :  "  Within  half  a  mile  of  my  residence  there  is 
a  blackbird  which  crows  constantly,  and  as  accurately  as  the 
common  cock,  and  nearly  as  loud;  as  it  may,  on  a  still  day, 
be  heard  at  the  distance  of  several  hundred  yards.  When 
first  told  of  the  circumstance,  I  conjectured  that  it  must  have 
been  the  work  of  a  cock  pheasant,  concealed  in  a  neighbour- 
ing brake;  but,  on  the  assurance  that  it  was  nothing  more  or 
less  than  a  common  blackbird,  I  determined  to  ascertain  the 
fact  with  my  own  eyes  and  ears;  and  this  day  I  had  the 
gratification  of  getting  close  to  it,  seated  on  the  top  bough 
of  an  ash  tree,  and  pursuing  with  unceasing  zeal  its  unusual 
note.  The  resemblance  to  the  crow  of  the  domestic  cock 
is  so  perfect,  that  more  than  one  in  the  distance  were  an- 
swering it.  It  occasionally  indulged  in  its  usual  song;  but 
only  for  a  second  or  two;  resuming  its  more  favourite  note; 
and  once  or  twice  it  commenced  with  crowing,  and  broke  off 
in  the  middle  into  its  natural  whistle.  In  what  way  this 
bird  has  acquired  its  present  propensity  I  am  unable  to  say, 
except  that  as  its  usual  haunt  is  near  a  mill  where  poultry 
are  kept,  it  may  have  learned  the  note  from  the  common 
fowl." 

The  Blackbird  of  America  resembles  his  English  cousin  in 
most  particulars.  He  is  often  seen  following  the  plough, 
looking  for  worms  in  the  fresh  furrows,  and  frequently,  like  the 
crow,  stealing  the  planted  maize  or  Indian  corn  from  the  hill. 
In  the  autumn  the  American  Blackbirds  gather  in  vast  flocks, 
and  sometimes  produce  a  roar  like  the  rush  of  a  waterfall 
by  their  flight. 


254  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

Y^Q  The  Mocking  Bird  is  a  native  of  America  and 

Mocking  many  stories  are  told  of  its  wonderful  powers 

Bird.  of  mimicry.  The  following  description  is  furnished 
by  Wilson:  "The  plumage  of  the  Mocking  Bird,  though 
none  of  the  homeliest,  has  nothing  gaudy  or  brilliant  in  it, 
and,  had  he  nothing  else  to  recommend  him,  would  scarcely 
entitle  him  to  notice ;  but  his  figure  is  well  proportioned,  and 
even  handsome.  The  ease,  elegance,  and  rapidity  of  his 
movements,  the  animation  of  his  eye,  and  the  intelligence 
he  displays  in  listening,  and  laying  up  lessons  from  almost 
every  species  of  the  feathered  creation  within  his  hearing, 
are  really  surprising,  and  mark  the  peculiarity  of  his  genius. 
In  his  native  groves,  mounted  upon  the  top  of  a  tall  bush 
or  half  grown  tree,  in  the  dawn  of  a  dewy  morning,  while 
the  woods  are  already  vocal  with  a  multitude  of  warblers, 
his  admirable  song  rises  pre-eminent  over  every  competitor. 
The  ear  can  listen  to  his  music  alone,  to  which  that  of  all 
the  others  seems  a  mere  accompaniment.  Neither  is  this 
strain  altogether  imitative.  His  own  native  notes,  which  are 
easily  distinguishable  by  such  as  are  acquainted  with  those 
of  our  various  song  birds,  are  bold  and  full,  and  varied 
seemingly  beyond  all  limits.  They  consist  of  short  expres- 
sions of  two,  three,  or  at  the  most  five  or  six  syllables,  generally 
interspersed  with  imitations,  and  all  of  them  uttered  with 
great  emphasis  and  rapidity,  and  continued  with  undiminished 
ardour  for  half  an  hour,  or  an  hour,  at  a  time.  His  expanded 
wings  and  tail,  glistening  with  white,  and  the  buoyant  gaiety 
of  his  action,  arresting  the  eye,  as  his  song  most  irresistibly 
does  the  ear,  he  sweeps  round  with  enthusiastic  ecstasy  and 
mounts  and  descends  as  his  song  swells  or  dies  away.  'He 
bounds  aloft  with  the  celerity  of  an  arrow,  as  if  to  recover 
or  recall  his  very  soul,  which  expired  in  the  last  elevated 
strain.'  He  often  deceives  the  sportsman,  and  sends  him  in 
search  of  birds  that  are  not  perhaps  within  miles  of  him,  but 
whose  notes  he  exactly  imitates:  even  birds  themselves  are 


THE  MOCKING   BIRD  -  THE  WREN.  255 

frequently  imposed  upon  by  this  admirable  mimic,  and  are 
decoyed  by  the  fancied  calls  of  their  mates,  or  dive  with 
precipitation  into  the  depth  of  thickets  at  the  scream  of  what 
they  suppose  to  be  the  sparrow-hawk." 

The  Tailor       The    Tailor    Bird   is  a  small   bird  of  no  very 

Bird.       remarkable    appearance,   but  it  is  singular  from 

its  habit  of  sewing  leaves  together  in  forming  its  nest.     This  it 

does  by  using  its  beak  as  a  needle,  and  certain  vegetable  fibres 

as  thread,  and  sewing  the  edges  of  leaves  together  in  the  form 

of  a  pocket,  in  which  it  deposits  its  eggs  and  rears  its  young. 

The  Golden        The   Golden    Crested  Wren  is  the  smallest 

Crested  Wren.  of  British  Birds,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  acccording  to  Mrs.  Bowdich  it  only  weighs  eighty 
grains.  It  is  peculiar  among  British  birds  for  suspending  its 
nest  to  the  boughs  of  trees.  Its  nest  is  an  elegant  structure,  some- 
times open  at  the  top,  sometimes  covered  with  a  dome,  having 
an  entrance  at  the  side.  It  is  a  tame  bird,  and  often  visits 
country  gardens  where  it  may  be  distinguished  by  its  green  and 
yellow  coat  with  white  facings,  and  its  golden  crest  Captain 
Brown  says :  "  its  song  is  weak  and  intermittent,  yet  sweet  as 
that  which  fancy  attributes  to  the  fairy  on  the  moonlight  hill." 
The  Captain  Brown,  quoting  from  "  Selby's  Ornitho- 

Migration  logy",  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  way  in 
of  Birds.  which  our  native  birds  are  reinforced  from  other 
countries.—"  On  the  24th  and  25th  of  October,  1822,"  says  Mr. 
Selby,  "after  a  very  severe  gale,  with  thick  fog,  from  the 
North  East,  (but  veering,  towards  its  conclusion,  to  the  east 
and  south  of  east,)  thousands  of  these  birds  were  seen  to 
arrive  upon  the  sea-shore  and  sand-banks  of  the  Northum- 
brian coast;  many  of  them  so  fatigued  by  the  length  of 
their  flight,  or  perhaps  by  the  unfavourable  shift  of  wind,  as 
to  be  unable  to  rise  again  from  the  ground,  and  great  num- 
bers were  in  consequence  caught  or  destroyed.  This  flight 
must  have  been  immensely  numerous,  as  its  extent  was  traced 
through  the  whole  length  of  the  coasts  of  Northumberland 


256  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  Durham.  There  appears  little  doubt  of  this  having 
been  a  migration  from  the  more  northern  provinces  of  Europe 
(probably  furnished  by  the  pine  forests  of  Norway,  Sweden, 
&c.),  from  the  circumstance  of  its  arrival  being  simultaneous 
with  that  of  large  flights  of  the  woodcock,  fieldfare,  and 
redwing.  Although  I  had  never  before  witnessed  the  actual 
arrival  of  the  gold-crested  regulus,  I  had  long  felt  convinced, 
from  the  great  and  sudden  increase  of  the  species,  during 
the  autumnal  and  hyemal  months  that  our  indigenous  birds 
must  be  augmented  by  a  body  of  strangers  making  these 
shores  their  winter's  resort.—  A  more  extraordinary  circumstance 
in  the  economy  of  this  bird  took  place  during  the  same 
winter,  viz.,  the  total  disappearance  of  the  whole,  natives  as 
well  as  strangers,  throughout  Scotland  and  the  north  of 
England.  This  happened  towards  the  conclusion  of  the 
month  of  January  1823,  and  a  few  days  previous  to  the  long- 
continued  snow-storm  so  severely  felt  throughout  the  northern 
counties  of  England,  and  along  the  eastern  parts  of  Scotland. 
The  range  and  point  of  this  migration  are  unascertained,  but 
it  must  probably  have  been  a  distant  one,  from  the  fact  of 
not  a  single  pair  having  returned  to  breed,  or  pass  the 
succeeding  summer,  in  the  situations  they  had  been  known 
always  to  frequent.  Nor  was  one  of  the  species  to  be  seen 
till  the  following  October,  or  about  the  usual  time,  as  I  have 
above  stated,  for  our  receiving  an  annual  accession  of  strang- 
ers to  our  own  indigenous  birds." 

The   Willow   Wren  is  a  summer  visitor  to  the 


Willow     British  Isles.    He  arrives  about  the  end  of  March 

Wren*      and  leaves  in  the  month  of  September.    He  is 

an  active  little  bird,  an  expert  fly-catcher  and  an  agreeable 

singer.     His  coat  is  of  a  greenish  yellow-brown,  his  waistcoat 

js  white  tinged  with  yellow. 

ipj^  The    Common    Wren    is   indigenous  to  Great 

Common    Britain.    It  builds  its  nest  under  the  shelter  of 
thatched    eaves,    in  out-of-the-way   and  unusual 


THE   WREN.  257 

places.  It  is  a  plain  homely  looking  little  bird  of  a  pale 
chestnut  brown  colour.  Captain  Brown  gives  the  following 
interesting  description  of  a  wren's  music  lesson. 

A  Wren's  "  A  pair  of  wrens,  "  says  Captain  Brown,  "  built 
Music  Lesson,  their  nest  in  a  box,  so  situated  that  the  family  on 
the  grounds  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  mother's  care 
in  instructing  her  young  ones  to  sing.  She  seated  herself  on 
one  side  of  the  opening  of  the  box,  facing  her  young,  and 
commenced  by  singing  over  all  her  notes  very  slowly  and 
distinctly.  One  of  the  little  ones  then  attempted  to  imitate 
her.  After  chirping  rather  inharmoniously  a  few  notes,  its 
pipe  failed,  and  it  went  off  the  tune.  The  mother  immedi- 
ately took  up  the  tune  where  the  young  one  had  failed,  and 
distinctly  finished  the  remaining  part.  The  young  one  made 
a  second  attempt,  commencing  where  it  had  left  off,  and  con- 
tinuing for  a  few  notes  with  tolerable  distinctness,  when  it  again 
lost  the  notes;  the  mother  began  again  where  it  ceased,  and 
went  through  with  the  air.  The  young  one  again  resumed 
the  tune  and  completed  it.  When  this  was  done,  the  mother 
again  sung  over  the  whole  of  her  song  with  great  precision; 
and  then  another  of  the  young  attempted  to  follow  it,  who 
likewise  was  incapable  of  going  through  with  the  tune,  but  the 
parent  treated  it  as  she  had  done  the  first  bird;  and  so  on 
with  the  third  and  fourth.  It  sometimes  happened  that  the 
little  one  would  lose  the  tune,  even  three  or  four  times  in 
making  the  attempt;  in  which  case  the  mother  uniformly 
commenced  where  it  had  ceased,  and  always  sung  to  the  end 
of  the  tune;  and  when  each  had  completed  the  trial,  she 
always  sung  over  the  whole  song.  Sometimes  two  of  them 
commenced  the  strain  together,  in  which  case  she  pursued 
the  same  conduct  towards  them,  as  she  had  done  when  one 
sung.  This  was  repeated  at  intervals  every  day,  while  they 
remained  in  their  nest." 

The  The  American   House  Wren  is   described  by 

House  Wren.  Audubon  as  a  cheery  familiar  little  bird,  resem- 

17 


258  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Ming  the  common  wren  in  many  of  his  habits,  if  not  indeed 

identical  with  it. 

Wilson  says,  "  in  the  month  of  June  a  mower  hung  up  his 
coat,  under  a  shed,  near  the  bam,  and  two  or  three  days 
elapsed  before  he  had  occasion  to  put  it  on  again,  when 
thrusting  his  arm  up  the  sleeve,  he  found  it  completely  filled 
with  some  rubbish,  as  he  called  it,  and  on  extracting  the 
whole  mass,  found  it  to  be  the  nest  of  a  wren  completely 
finished,  and  lined  with  a  large  quantity  of  feathers.  In  his 
retreat,  he  was  followed  by  the  forlorn  little  proprietors,  who 
scolded  him  with  great  vehemence  for  thus  ruining  the  whole 
economy  of  their  household  affairs."  Wilson  also  tells  a 
very  pretty  story  of  a  pair  of  wrens  who  built  their  nest 
upon  a  window  sill,  one  of  whom,  the  female,  venturing  to 
enter  the  room  was  devoured  by  a  cat.  The  male  bird 
showed  much  uneasiness  when  he  missed  his  mate,  but 
after  a  time  disappeared  for  two  days,  returning  with  a  new 
wife,  and  with  her  help  removing  the  two  eggs  left  by  her 
predecessor  to  a  new  nest  in  a  more  secure  position. 

The  The  Nightingale  and  the  Sky- Lark,  may  perhaps 

Nightingale,  be  said  to  divide  honours  in  the  sphere  of  feathered 
song.  Both  have  entranced  innumerable  auditors  and  both 
have  won  noble  tributes  from  poets'  pens.  Both,  moreover, 
are  plain  birds.  The  nightingale  is  of  a  tawny  colour  on  the 
head  and  back,  and  of  a  greyish  white  on  the  throat  and 
under  parts.  It  has  a  full  large  eye  of  great  brightness.  It 
is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  song  birds,  measuring  seven  inches 
in  length.  The  nightingale  is  found  in  Yorkshire  but  not  in 
Lancashire,  also  in  Surrey,  Sussex,  Kent,  Dorsetshire,  Somer- 
setshire and  East  Devonshire,  but  not  in  Cornwall.  It  belongs 
to  France,  Germany,  Poland,  Italy,  and  Palestine. 

The  "The  Nightingale's  song,"  says  the  author  of 

Mlghingaie's  "Tales  of  Animals,"  unites  strength  and  sweetness, 

long'       in  a  most  wonderful  degree,  as  its  notes  may  be 

heard    on   a    calm  evening  at  the   distance  of  half  a  mile. 


Plate  No.   14 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  NIGHTINGALE.  259 

The  most  consummate  musician  might  listen  with  delight  to 
its  song,  whatever  might  be  his  peculiar  taste,  as  it  can  at 
one  moment  thrill  the  heart  with  joy  and  at  another  melt  it 
to  sober  sadness,  by  the  laughing  and  sighing  modulations 
which  follow  each  other  in  rapid  succession  through  the 
melody,  which  is  seldom  interrupted  by  a  pause.  As  if 
conscious  of  its  unrivalled  powers,  it  does  not  join  the  some- 
times discordant  concert  of  the  other  songsters,  but  waits  on 
some  solitary  twig  till  the  blackbird  and  thrush  have  uttered 
their  evening  call,  till  the  stock  and  ring  doves  have  lulled 
each  other  to  rest,  and  then  it  displays  at  full  its  melodious 
fancies."  The  following  is  an  attempt  made  by  a  well-known 
naturalist  to  reduce  the  song  to  writing: 

"Thai  tiuu  tiuu  tiuu — Spe  tiuu  zqua — Ti5  ti5  ti5  tio  tio  tio 
tio  tix — Qutio  qutio  qutio  qutio — Zquo  zquo  zquo  zquo — 
Tzti  tzu  tzii  tzu  tzu  tzfl  tzii  tzii  tzii  tzi — Quorror  tiu  zqua 
pipiquisi — Zozozozozozozozozozozozo  zirrhading!  "  <Src.  &c. 

Quaint  old  Izaac  Walton  says :  "  But  the  nightingale,  another 
of  my  airy  creatures,  breathes  such  sweet,  loud  music  out  of 
her  instrumental  throat,  that  it  might  make  mankind  to  think 
that  miracles  are  not  ceased.  He  that  at  midnight,  when  the 
very  labourer  sleeps  securely,  should  hear,  as  I  have  very 
often,  the  clear  airs,  the  sweet  descents,  the  natural  rising 
and  falling,  the  doubling  and  redoubling  of  her  voice,  might 
well  be  lifted  above  earth,  and  say,  'Lord,  what  music  hast 
thou  provided  for  the  saints  in  Heaven,  when  thou  affordesi 
bad  men  such  music  on  earth !'" 

The  Robin  The  Robin  Redbreast  is  a  prime  favourite  in 
Redbreast.  English  cottage  homes.  Its  appearance  on  the 
window  sill  at  the  approach  of  winter  is  an  irresistible  appeal 
to  human  sympathy  and  seldom  fails  of  a  hearty  response. 
Captain  Brown  mentions  a  robin  which,  during  a  severe  storm, 
came  to  the  window  of  the  room  where  his  father  sat,  upon 
which  his  father  opened  the  window,  to  give  it  some  crumbs. 
"Instead  of  flying  away,  the  robin  hopped  into  the  room, 


260  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  picked  the  crumbs  from  the  floor.  His  father,  being 
very  fond  of  animals,  took  great  pleasure  in  taming  this  bird, 
and  so  completely  succeeded,  that  it  would  pick  small  pieces 
of  raw  flesh  and  worms  from  his  hand,  sat  on  the  table  at 
which  he  wrote,  and,  when  the  day  was  very  cold,  perched 
upon  the  fender.  When  a  stranger  entered,  it  flew  to  the 
top  of  a  door,  where  it  perched  every  night.  The  window 
was  frequently  opened  to  admit  air,  but  the  robin  never 
offered  to  go  away.  As  the  spring  advanced,  and  the  weather 
became  fine,  it  flew  away  every  morning,  and  returned  every 
evening,  till  the  time  of  incubation  arrived,  and  it  then  flew 
away  altogether.  At  the  next  fall  of  the  year  it  again  asked 
for  admittance,  and  behaved  exactly  in  the  same  manner  as 
before.  It  did  this  a  third  time,  but  when  it  flew  away  the 
ensuing  spring,  it  was  never  seen  again."  Robins  have  been 
known  to  build  their  nests  in  queer  places.  Mrs.  Bowdich 
tells  of  one  which  attached  its  nest  to  the  Bible  of  the  parish 
church  of  Hampton,  Warwickshire,  and  of  others  which  built 
theirs  on  the  reading  desk  of  a  church  in  Wiltshire  and 
deposited  six  eggs  in  it. 
The  intelligence  The  Robin  is  an  intelligent  little  bird  and 

of  the  Bobin.  SOme  pretty  stories  are  told  of  its  sagacity. 
Mrs.  Bowdich  mentions  a  gardener  who  was  in  the  service 
of  a  friend  of  hers,  who  having  made  a  pet  of  a  robin,  was 
one  day  much  struck  with  the  uneasiness  of  his  little  friend, 
and  concluding  that  he  wanted  assistance  followed  him  to 
his  nest,  which  occupied  a  flower  pot,  when  he  discovered 
that  a  snake  had  coiled  itself  round  the  little  home.  Happily 
the  gardener  was  in  time  to  save  the  birds  though  at  the 
snake's  expense.  In  "  The  Gardener's  Chronicle "  there  is  a 
story,  quoted  by  Mrs.  Bowdich,  of  a  robin  which  having  been 
caught  young  and  kept  with  a  nightingale,  learned  the  night- 
ingale's song  so  perfectly  as  to  be  indistinguishable  in  t>er- 
formance. 

The  Titmouse.      There  are  several  varieties  of  the  Titmouse ; 


THE  ROBIN— THE  TITMOUSE.  261 

the  Blue  Titmouse,  the  Great  Titmouse,  and  the  Long-tailed 
Titmouse  are  some  of  these.  The  Blue  Titmouse,  sometimes 
called  a  Tomtit,  is  a  plucky  little  bird  and  resists  capture 
with  such  vigour  that  according  to  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Wood  it  has 
become  known  to  rustic  boys  by  the  name  of  "Billy biter." 
"The  angry  hiss  of  the  female,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "has  fre- 
quently caused  an  intruding  hand  to  be  rapidly  withdrawn,  for 
the  sound  is  so  exceedingly  like  the  hiss  of  an  irritated  snake, 
and  the  little  beak  is  so  sharp,  that  few  have  the  courage  to 
proceed  with  their  investigations.  A  pair  of  these  birds  built 
their  nest  in  the  coping  of  the  Great  Western  Railway,  at 
the  Shrivenham  station,  not  two  feet  from  the  fiery  and 
noisy  engines,  which  were  constantly  passing.  The  men  re- 
spected the  courage  of  the  little  birds,  and  the  whole  brood 
was  hatched,  and  suffered  to  fly  at  liberty." 

The  Great  Titmouse  is  found  in  various  parts  of  Europe. 
According  to  Mrs.  Bowdich  it  is  sufficiently  pliable  to  roll 
itself  up  in  a  ball,  and  is  strong  enough  to  crack  a  hazel  nut. 
She  says,  "  It  will  plant  itself  at  the  door  of  a  hive,  and  tap 
loudly  on  the  edge;  which  signal  is  answered  by  a  sentinel 
bee  who  is  immediately  snapped  up,  taken  to  the  bough  of 
a  tree  where  he  is  beaten  to  death,  and  then  loses  his  head 
and  thorax;  the  rest  of  him  being  unworthy  of  the  appetite 
of  his  captor."  The  Long-tailed  Titmouse  is  famous  for  the 
beauty,  security  and  warmth  of  its  nest. 
The  Golden  The  Golden  Oriole  deserves  mention  if  only 
Oriole.  for  jtg  beautiful  name;  it  has,  however,  other 
claims  to  attention.  It  is  found  in  Europe  and  Australia  and 
visits  England  occasionally  during  the  summer,  but  is  not 
found  in  America.  The  male  is  a  very  handsome  bird  of  a 
golden  yellow  colour,  with  wings  and  tail  of  black,  the 
feathers  of  the  latter  ending  in  yellow.  It  lives  on  fruit  and 
berries,  and,  failing  these,  insects,  and  inhabits  thickets  and 
wooded  spots  adjacent  to  orchards,  upon  which  it  commits 
serious  depredations. 


262  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  shrike.  There  are  several  species  of  Shrikes,  the 
Thick-headed  Shrike,  the  Great  Shrike,  and  the  Red-backed 
Shrike  being  among  these.  The  Great  Shrike  belongs  to  both 
Europe  and  America.  In  appearance  it  resembles  the 
Mocking  Bird  for  which  it  is  sometimes  mistaken.  It 
preys  upon  mice,  frogs,  birds,  grasshoppers  and  large  insects, 
killing  and  then  impaling  them  upon  thorns  until  such  time 
as  it  chooses  to  eat  them.  Its  rapacity  has  earned  for 
it  the  name  of  "the  Butcher  Bird."  According  to  Mr. 
Bell  these  birds  are  kept  tame  in  the  houses  in  Russia.  One 
in  his  possession  was  furnished  with  a  sharply  pointed  stick 
for  a  perch,  on  the  end  of  which  it  spitted  any  bird  or  animal 
it  caught.  The  Shrike  believes  in  a  well  filled  larder,  and 
does  not  proceed  to  eat  his  game  until  he  has  a  good  stock. 
He  is  also  known  as  the  "  Nine-killer  "  in  America,  from  his 
supposed  preference  for  spitting  that  number  at  a  forage. 

The  j»y.  We  now  come  to  the  family  of  the  Corvidae, 
the  crow  family,  which  includes  the  Jays,  the  Magpies  and 
the  Choughs.  The  Common  Jay  is  indigenous  in  England 
where  it  secludes  itself  in  woody  fastnesses,  rarely  exposing 
itself  in  open  country.  It  is  a  handsome  bird  about  thirteen 
inches  long,  with  beautiful  blue  markings  on  its  wings,  but 
is  so  shy  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  a  sight  of  it  when  at 
liberty.  Taken  young  it  may  be  easily  tamed,  when  it  becomes 
an  amusing,  if  mischievous  pet.  It  has  considerable  powers 
of  mimicry  and  can  imitate  the  common  sounds  it  hears  with 
wonderful  exactness.  The  bleat  of  the  lamb,  the  mew  of  the 
cat,  the  neigh  of  the  horse  and  the  cries  of  other  birds  give 
exercise  to  this  faculty,  and  Bewick  says :  "  We  have  heard 
one  imitate  the  sound  made  by  the  action  of  a  saw,  so  exactly, 
that  though  it  was  on  a  Sunday,  we  could  hardly  be  persuaded 
that  the  person  who  kept  it  had  not  a  carpenter  at  work  in 
the  house."  Like  many  other  birds  it  becomes  bold  in  the 
care  and  protection  of  its  young.  Knapp  in  his  "Journals 
of  a  Naturalist"  says : 


Plate  No.  15 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  JAY.  263 

"  This  bird  is  always  extremely  timid,  when  its  own  interest 
or  safety  is  solely  concerned;  but  no  sooner  does  its  hungry 
brood  clamour  for  supply,  than  it  loses  all  its  wary  character, 
and  becomes  a  bold  and  impudent  thief.  At  this  period  it 
will  visit  our  gardens,  which  it  rarely  approaches  at  other 
times,  plunder  them  of  every  raspberry,  cherry,  or  bean,  that 
it  can  obtain,  and  will  not  cease  from  rapine  as  long  as  any  of 
the  brood  or  the  crop  remains.  We  see  all  the  nestlings 
approach,  and,  settling  near  some  meditated  scene  of  plunder, 
quietly  await  a  summons  to  commence.  A  parent  bird 
from  some  tree,  surveys  the  ground,  then  descends  upon 
the  cherry,  or  into  the  rows,  immediately  announces  a  dis- 
covery, by  a  low  but  particular  call,  and  all  the  family  flock 
into  the  banquet,  which  having  finished  by  repeated  visits, 
the  old  birds  return  to  the  woods,  with  all  their  chattering 
children,  and  become  the  same  wild,  cautious  creatures  they 
were  before." 

The  Blue  Wilson  gives  the  following  description  of  the 
J»y-  Blue  Jay:  "This  elegant  bird,  peculiar  to  North 
America,  is  distinguished  as  a  kind  of  beau  among  the 
feathered  tenants  of  the  woods,  by  the  .brilliancy  of  his  dress ; 
and  like  most  other  coxcombs,  makes  himself  still  more 
conspicuous  by  his  loquacity,  and  the  oddness  of  his  tones 
and  gestures.  Of  all  birds  he  is  the  most  bitter  enemy  to 
the  owl.  No  sooner  has  he  discovered  the  retreat  of  one 
of  these,  than  he  calls  the  whole  feathered  fraternity  to 
his  assistance,  who  surround  the  glimmering  recluse,  and 
attack  him  from  all  sides,  raising  such  a  shout  as  may  be 
heard  on  a  still  day  more  than  half  a  mile  off.  The  owl 
at  length,  forced  to  betake  himself  to  flight,  is  followed  by  his 
whole  train  of  persecutors,  until  driven  beyond  the  boundaries 
of  their  jurisdiction.  But  the  blue  jay  himself  is  not  guiltless 
of  similar  depredations  as  the  owl  and  becomes  in  his 
turn  the  very  tyrant  he  detested,  and  he  is  sometimes  attacked 
with  such  spirit  as  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  making  a 


264  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE.    • 

speedy  retreat.  The  blue  jay  is  not  only  bold  and  vociferous, 
but  possesses  a  considerable  talent  for  mimicry,  and  seems 
to  enjoy  great  satisfaction  in  mocking  and  teasing  other  birds, 
particularly  the  little  hawk,  imitating  his  cry  whenever  he 
sees  him,  and  squeaking  out  as  if  caught;  this  soon  brings 
a  number  of  his  own  tribe  around  him,  who  all  join  in  the 
frolic,  darting  about  the  hawk,  and  feigning  the  cries  of  a 
bird  sorely  wounded,  and  already  in  the  clutches  of  its 
devourer;  while  others  lie  concealed  in  bushes,  ready  to 
second  their  associates  in  the  attack.  But  this  ludicrous  farce 
often  terminates  tragically.  The  hawk,  singling  out  one  of 
the  most  insolent  and  provoking,  swoops  upon  him  in  an 
unguarded  moment,  and  offers  him  up  a  sacrifice  to  his 
hunger  and  resentment.  In  an  instant  the  tune  is  changed, 
all  their  buffoonery  vanishes,  and  loud  and  incessant  screams 
proclaim  their  disaster.  Whenever  the  jay  has  had  the 
advantage  of  education  from  man,  he  has  not  only  shown 
himself  an  apt  scholar,  but  his  suavity  of  manners  seems 
equalled  only  by  his  art  and  contrivances,  though  it  must 
be  confessed  that  his  itch  for  thieving  keeps  pace  with  all 
his  other  acquirements." 

The  The   Magpie  is  an   ancient  bird  and  is  men- 

Magpie,  tioned  by  Plutarch  and  other  early  writers.  It 
is  indigenous  in  England  and  shows  great  industry  and  in- 
genuity in  the  construction  of  its  nest,  which  it  lines  with 
mud  plaster  and  covers  with  thorns,  building  upon  high 
trees  and  in  secluded  spots.  It  feeds  upon  both  animal  and 
vegetable  food,  attacking  birds,  young  ducks  and  chickens, 
as  well  as  mice  and  even  rats,  and  regaling  itself  on  both 
fruit  and  grain.  It  attains  to  a  length  of  about  eighteen 
inches  and  is  a  handsome  bird,  though  captivity  does  not 
improve  its  appearance. 

The  Magpie's       The  mischievous  habits  of  the  magpie  have 

Mischief.       won  for  ft  the  name  of  "  the  Monkey  of  the 

Birds,"  the  Raven  as  Mr.  Wood  puts  it  being  "theornitho- 


THE  MAGPIE.  265 

logical  baboon."  Its  mischief  is  displayed  in  many  ways; 
in  the  wanton  destruction  of  articles  and  in  their  crafty 
secretion,  as  well  as  in  the  thievish  appropriation  of  edible 
dainties.  Mr.  Wood  tells  of  a  Wiltshire  magpie  which  "  found 
a  malicious  enjoyment  in  pecking  the  unprotected  ankles  of 
little  boys  not  yet  arrived  at  manly  habiliments,  and  was 
such  a  terror  to  the  female  servants  that  they  were  forced 
to  pass  his  lurking-place  armed  with  a  broom.  One  of  the 
servants  having  neglected  this  precaution,  was  actually  found 
sitting  down  on  the  stones  to  protect  her  ankles,  the  magpie 
triumphantly  pacing  round  her,  until  aid  was  brought,  and 
the  bird  driven  away."  Mrs.  Bowdich  quotes  the  following 
from  Mr.  Ranson :  "  A  magpie,  kept  by  a  branch  of  our 
family,  was  noted  for  his  powers  of  imitation.  He  could 
whistle  tunes,  imitate  hens  and  ducks,  and  speak  very  plainly. 
Seated  upon  a  toll-bar  gate,  he  would  shout  'Gate,  ahoy!' 
so  distinctly,  as  to  draw  out  the  keeper,  who  was  generally 
saluted  by  a  loud  laugh  when  he  answered  the  call.  When 
the  keeper's  wife  was  making  pastry,  he  would  practise  the 
same  manoeuvre,  and  if  the  trick  were  not  detected,  and  the 
woman  rushed  out  to  open  the  gate,  the  magpie  darted  into 
the  house,  and  speedily  made  his  exit  with  his  bill  full  of 
paste ;  and  he,  in  great  glee,  would  chatter  about  it  for  some 
time  afterwards.  He  would  perch  upon  the  backs  of  chairs, 
say  he  was  hungry,  or  inform  the  juniors  of  the  family  it 
was  time  to  go  to  school.  He  was  allowed  to  run  about, 
but  was  never  out  of  mischief,  and  had  a  constant  propensity 
to  pilfer  and  hide  small  articles."  Of  the  serious  conse- 
quences sometimes  attending  this  habit  of  secreting  things,  the 
following  story  from  Lady  Morgan's  "Italy"  is  a  painful 
illustration. — "A  noble  lady  of  Florence,  resided  in  a  house 
which  stands  still  opposite  the  lofty  Doric  column  which  was 
raised  to  commemorate  the  defeat  of  Pietro  Strozzi,  and  the 
taking  of  Sienna,  by  the  tyrannic  conqueror  of  both.  Cosmo, 
the  First,  lost  a  valuable  pearl  necklace,  and  one  of  her 


266  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

waiting-women,  (a  very  young  girl)  was  accused  of  the  theft. 
Having  solemnly  denied  the  fact,  she  was  put  to  the  torture, 
which  was  then  a  plaisir  at  Florence.  Unable  to  support 
its  terrible  infliction,  she  acknowledged  that  'she  was  guilty,' 
and,  without  further  trial,  was  hung.  Shortly  after,  Florence 
was  visited  by  a  tremendous  storm;  a  thunder-bolt  fell  on 
the  figure  of  Justice,  and  split  the  scales,  one  of  which  fell 
to  the  earth,  and  with  it  fell  the  ruins  of  a  magpie's  nest, 
containing  the  pearl  necklace.  Those  scales  are  still  the 
haunts  of  birds,  and  I  never  saw  them  hovering  round  them, 
without  thinking  of  those  'good  old  times,'  when  innocent 
women  could  be  first  tortured,  and  then  hung  on  suspicion." 
The  The  Raven  is  a  large  bird,  indeed  the  largest 

BaveiL  of  the  British  crows,  attaining  to  a  length  of  two 
feet  two  inches,  and  having  a  stretch  of  wing  of  four  feet  eight 
inches,  in  width.  It  is  an  historic  bird,  being  mentioned 
by  Pliny  who  records  that  a  tame  one  kept  in  the  Temple 
of  Castor,  was  taught  by  a  tailor  whom  it  used  to  visit,  to 
pronounce  the  name  of  the  Emperor  Tiberias  and  of  the 
other  members  of  the  Royal  family.  The  fame  of  the  bird 
brought  the  tailor  riches,  but  excited  the  jealousy  of  his 
neighbours,  one  of  whom  killed  the  bird.  The  record  states 
that  the  offender  was  punished  and  the  bird  accorded  a  mag- 
nificent funeral.  The  Raven  builds  its  nest  in  high  trees  and 
among  inaccessible  and  precipitous  rocks,  especially  in  the 
Hebrides,  and  lives  on  carrion,  not  disdaining  fruit  and  grain. 
Like  many  other  birds  who  afterwards  show  little  concern 
for  their  young  the  Raven  is  assiduous  in  its  attentions  during 
the  period  of  incubation.  The  following  is  from  White's 
"  Natural  History  of  Selborne  "  : 

"  In  the  centre  of  a  grove  near  Selborne,  there  stood  an 
oak,  which  though  shapely  and  tall  on  the  whole,  bulged  out 
into  a  large  excrescence  near  the  middle  of  the  stem.  On 
the  tree  a  pair  of  ravens  had  fixed  their  residence  for  such 
a  series  of  years,  that  the  oak  was  distinguished  by  the  name 


THE  RAVEN.  267 

of  the  'raven  tree.'  Many  were  the  attempts  of  the  neigh- 
bouring youths  to  get  at  this  eyrie;  the  difficulty  whetted 
their  inclinations,  and  each  was  ambitious  of  surmounting 
the  arduous  task;  but,  when  they  arrived  at  the  swelling,  it 
jutted  out  so  much  in  their  way,  and  was  so  far  beyond 
their  grasp,  that  the  boldest  lads  were  deterred,  and  acknow- 
ledged the  undertaking  to  be  too  hazardous.  Thus  the  ravens 
continued  to  build  nest  after  nest,  in  perfect  security,  till  the 
fatal  day  arrived  on  which  the  wood  was  to  be  levelled. 
This  was  in  the  month  of  February,  when  these  birds  usually 
sit.  The  saw  was  applied  to  the  trunk,  the  wedges  were 
inserted  in  the  opening,  the  woods  echoed  to  the  heavy 
blows  of  the  beetle  or  mallet,  the  tree  nodded  to  its  fall; 
but  the  dam  persisted  to  sit.  At  last,  when  it  gave  way,  the 
bird  was  flung  from  her  nest ;  and  though  her  maternal  affec- 
tion deserved  a  better  fate,  was  whipped  down  by  the  twigs, 
which  brought  her  dead  to  the  ground. "  Ravens  are  said 
to  pair  for  life  and  to  live  for  a  hundred  years. 
Unnatural  Though  models  of  conjugal  fidelity,  Ravens 
Parents.  are  sai(j  to  be  very  unnatural  parents,  often 
showing  not  only  indifference  but  cruelty  to  their  young. 
Mr.  Morris  in  his  "Anecdotes  of  Natural  History"  tells  an 
interesting  story  of  a  family  of  ravens  whose  mother  came 
to  an  untimely  death.  "For  a  time  the  surviving  parent 
hovered  about  the  nest,  uttering  loud  and  menacing  croakings 
whenever  anybody  approached.  At  length,  however,  he 
disappeared,  and  absented  himself  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  then  returned  with  another  mate,  when  a  strange  scene 
occurred.  The  poor  half-starved  nestlings  were  attacked 
without  mercy  by  the  step-mother,  who,  after  severely 
wounding,  precipitated  them  from  the  nest ;  two,  however, 
were  found  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  with  signs  of  life,  and 
with  great  care  and  attention  reared  at  the  rectory,  about 
half  a  mile  distant,  and  after  being  slightly  pinioned,  were 
allowed  their  liberty ;  but  they  seldom  quitted  the  lawn  or 


268  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

offices,  roosting  in  a  tree  in  the  shrubbery.  Here,  however, 
they  were  soon  discovered  by  their  unnatural  parents,  who 
for  a  long  time  used  to  come  at  early  dawn  and  pounce 
upon  them  with  fierce  cries. "  In  this  case  it  was  the  step- 
mother and  not  the  mother  that  treated  the  young  ravens  so 
unkindly,  and  the  father  may  be  charitably  credited  with 
acting  under  the  influence  of  his  second  wife.  That  the 
Raven  drives  its  young  out  of  its  nest  as  soon  as  they  are 
able  to  provide  for  themselves  is  true,  but  why  they  should 
pursue  them  after  they  have  become  independent  is  not  clear. 
This  habit  of  the  ravens,  as  Mr.  Morris  points  out,  may  be 
referred  to  in  the  following  quotations:  "He  giveth  to  the 
beast  his  food,  and  to  the  young  ravens  which  cry"  (Psalm 
CXLVII.  9).  "  Who  provideth  for  the  raven  his  food  ?  when 
his  young  ones  cry  unto  God,  they  wander  for  lack  of  meat " 
(Job  xxxvui.  41). 

The  Tame  The  Raven  may  be  easily  tamed,  and  in  pri- 
Raven.  vate  ijfe  [s  always  an  amusement,  if  sometimes 
an  annoyance.  Like  all  birds  which  are  capable  of  imitating 
sounds  and  which  learn  words  and  phrases  it  will  often 
"speak  its  lines,"  with  startling  appropriateness  as  to  time 
and  place.  Captain  Brown  tells  a  good  story  of  a  Raven 
which  belonged  to  a  gentleman  who  resided  on  the  borders 
of  the  New  Forest  in  Hampshire.  On  one  occasion  a 
traveller  who  was  passing  through  the  forest  was  startled 
by  the  frequent  repetition  of  the  words:  "Fair  play,  gentle- 
men! fair  play!  for  God's  sake,  gentlemen,  fair  play!"  and 
upon  tracing  the  source  of  the  sound  discovered  the  tame 
raven  defending  himself  from  the  attacks  of  two  of  his  own 
species.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  traveller  rescued  the 
"gentleman"  from  the  two  "ruffians"  who  molested  him. 
Captain  Brown  also  tells  of  a  tame  raven  who  was  an 
expert  rat-catcher  and  whose  method  was  to  place  a  meat 
bone  in  front  of  a  rat  hole  and  to  stand  on  a  ledge  above 
the  hole,  pouncing  on  the  rat  as  soon  as  he  emerged  from 


THE  RAVEN.  269 

his   retreat.     In    this  way  he  captured  as  many  as  six  in  a 
fore-noon. 

The  Haven  Dr.  Stanley  tells  the  following  story  of  a 
and  the  Dog.  Raven  and  a  Dog:  "A  strong  attachment 
was  once  formed  between  a  raven  and  a  large  otter-dog. 
The  raven  had  been  taken  when  young,  and  reared  in 
a  stable-yard,  where  the  dog  was  kept  chained  up.  A 
friendship  soon  commenced,  which,  increasing  from  little  to 
more,  in  time  ripened  into  a  most  extraordinary  degree  of 
intimacy.  At  first  the  bird  was  satisfied  with  hopping  about 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  kennel,  and  occasionally  pecking  a  hasty 
morsel  from  the  dog's  feeding-pan  when  the  latter  had  finished 
his  meal.  Finding,  however,  no  interruption  on  th*e  part  of 
his  friend,  the  raven  soon  became  a  constant  attendant  at 
meal  times,  and,  taking  up  his  position  on  the  edge  of  the 
dish,  acted  the  part  of  a  regular  guest  and  partaker  of  the 
dog's  dinner,  which  consisted  usually  of  meal  and  milk,  with 
occasional  scraps  of  offal  meat,  a  piece  of  which  the  bird 
would  often  snatch  up,  almost  from  the  very  mouth  of  the 
dog,  and  hasten  beyond  the  reach  of  his  chain,  as  if  to 
tantalise  his  four-footed  friend;  and  then  hopping  towards 
him,  would  play  about,  and  hang  it  close  to  his  nose ;  and 
then  as  speedily,  at  the  moment  the  dog  was  preparing  to 
snap  it  up,  would  dart  off  beyond  the  reach  of  the  chain. 
At  other  times  he  would  hide  the  piece  of  meat  under  a 
stone,  and  then  coming  back,  with  a  cunning  look,  would 
perch  upon  the  dog's  head.  It  was  observed,  however,  that 
he  always  ended  his  pranks  by  either  sharing  or  giving  up 
the  whole  piece  to  his  friend  the  dog.  By  some  accident  the 
raven  had  fallen  into  a  tub  of  water,  and,  either  weakened 
by  struggling,  or  unable  to  get  out  owing  to  its  feathers  being 
soaked  with  water,  it  was  nearly  drowned.  The  dog  (whether 
the  same  dog  or  another  does  not  appear),  chained  at  a  short 
distance,  saw  the  poor  bird's  danger,  and  dragging  his  heavy 
kennel  towards  it,  reached  his  head  over  the  side  of  the  tub, 


270  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

and  taking  the   drowning  raven  up  in  his  mouth,  laid  him 
gently  on  the  ground,  when  he  soon  recovered." 

The  Rook.  The  Rook  which  is  often  confused  with  the 
Carrion  Crow  is  found  in  many  parts  of  Europe  and  is 
abundant  in  England,  where  it  is  common  to  see  groups  of 
trees  near  gentlemen's  houses  given  up  to  their  occupancy. 
Here  they  build  their  nests,  rear  their  young,  keep  up  an 
incessant  cawing,  quarrel  and  make  peace  as  do  all  other 
large  communities.  If  a  new-comer  appears  among  them, 
he  is  generally  received  in  a  very  rough  manner.  At  New- 
castle, a  pair  of  rooks  attempted  to  introduce  themselves 
into  a  rookery,  but  were  so  rudely  treated,  that,  in  high 
dudgeon,  they  ascended  to  the  steeple  of  one  of  the  public 
buildings,  and  built  their  nest  on  the  vane.  Here  they  lived 
for  several  successive  seasons,  turning  about  with  every  change 
of  wind,  and  regardless  of  the  busy  scene  in  the  town  beneath. 
The  rook  is  gregarious,  in  which  particular  it  differs  from 
the  Carrion  Crow  which  lives  in  pairs.  Further  differences 
are  found  in  the  feathering  of  the  head  and  neck  of  these 
birds,  that  of  the  crow  being  much  more  completely  covered 
than  that  of  the  rook.  The  croak  of  the  crow  is,  moreover, 
much  harsher  than  the  caw  of  the  rook.  Like  most,  if  not 
all  other  birds  and  animals,  the  rook  serves  a  useful  purpose  in 
nature,  in  checking  the  multiplication  of  the  worms  and  insects 
which  prey  upon  the  crops ;  and  doubtless  were  he  able  to 
argue  the  question  he  would  contend  that  helping  the  farmer 
to  produce  his  harvest  he  has  a  right  to  a  share  in  it. 
It  is  only  when  the  rook  in  his  turn  gets  too  numerous  that 
he  needs  a  similar  check. 

The  Carrion  The  Carrion  Crow  resembles  the  raven  in  ap- 
Crow.  pearance,  but  is  about  one  third  smaller  in  size. 
It  lives  in  pairs  and  is  said  to  be  a  model  of  conjugal  fidelity 
and  parental  care.  Omnivorous  in  habit  it  appropriates  all 
kinds  of  food :  insects,  grain,  eggs,  fruit,  nuts,  mice,  ducklings 
and  chickens,  as  well  as  such  dead  meat  as  may  offer  oppor- 


THE   ROOK — THE  CROW.  271 

tunity.  Captain  Brown  quoting  from  a  Scotch  newspaper  tells 
of  a  crow  which  made  an  attempt  to  carry  off  one  of  a 
brood  of  fourteen  chickens,  but  which  on  being  disturbed, 
dropped  its  prey  and  made  its  escape,  returning  some  time 
after  with  thirteen  other  crows  and  carrying  off  the  whole 
brood. 

The  Jackdaw.  The  Jackdaw,  measures  about  fourteen  inches, 
and  is  thus  the  smallest  of  the  birds  of  its  kind.  It  builds 
in  old  ruins,  church  towers,  and  rocky  eminences,  in  which 
particular  it  differs  from  the  rooks  and  the  crows,  who  select 
the  topmost  branches  of  trees  for  this  purpose.  Like  its  near 
relatives  with  whom  we  have  been  dealing,  it  is  thievish  and 
secretive  in  its  habits,  showing  a  preference,  in  its  appropriations, 
for  bright  objects  such  as  silver  spoons  and  gold  rings.  These 
habits  and  their  terrible  consequences  have  been  immortalized 
by  the  history  and  fate  of  the  "Jackdaw  of  Rheims." 

The  Chough.  The  Cheugh  frequents  the  western  sea  coasts 
of  England,  the  north,  south,  and  west  of  Ireland  and  the 
Isle  of  Man,  and  the  borders  of  the  snow  line  or  Alpine 
ranges  on  the  continent  of  Europe.  It  nests  in  the  cavities 
of  high  cliffs  and  attains  a  length  of  seventeen  inches;  its 
beak  and  legs  are  of  a  brilliant  red.  When  tamed  it  shows 
the  same  qualities  of  curiosity  and  secretiveness  which  char- 
acterise the  other  birds  of  its  kind. 

rphe  The  Bird  of  Paradise  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 

Bird  of  of  living  birds.  Mr.  Wallace  thus  describes  the 
Paradise.  parajisea  apoda  which  is  the  largest  species 
known:  "The  body,  wings,  and  tail  are  of  a  rich  coffee 
brown,  which  deepens  on  the  breast  to  a  blackish-violet  or 
purple  brown.  The  whole  top  of  the  head  and  neck  is  of 
an  exceedingly  delicate  straw-yellow,  the  feathers  being  short 
and  close  set,  so  as  to  resemble  plush  or  velvet;  the  lower 
part  of  the  throat  up  to  the  eye  is  clothed  with  scaly 
feathers  of  an  emerald  green  colour,  and  with  a  rich  metallic 
gloss,  and  velvety  plumes  of  a  still  deeper  green,  extend  in 


272  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

a  band  across  the  forehead  and  chin  as  far  as  the  eye, 
which  is  bright  yellow.  The  beak  is  pale  lead  blue,  and  the 
feet  which  are  rather  large  and  very  strong  and  well  formed, 
are  a  pale  ashy  pink.  The  two  middle  feathers  of  the  tail 
have  no  webs,  except  a  very  small  one  at  the  base  and  at 
the  extreme  tip,  forming  wire-like  cirri,  which  spread  out 
in  an  elegant  double  curve,  and  vary  from  twenty-four  to 
thirty-four  inches  long.  From  each  side  of  the  body  beneath 
the  wings,  springs  a  dense  tuft  of  long  and  delicate  plumes, 
sometimes  two  feet  in  length,  of  the  most  intense  golden 
orange  colour,  and  very  glossy,  but  changing  towards  the  tips 
into  a  pale  brown.  This  tuft  of  plumage  can  be  elevated 
and  spread  out  at  pleasure  so  as  almost  to  conceal  the  body 
of  the  bird.  These  splendid  ornaments  are  entirely  confined 
to  the  male  sex;  the  female  is  a  very  plain  and  ordinary 
looking  bird.  The  male  is  generally  seventeen  or  eighteen 
inches  from  the  beak  to  the  tip  of  the  tail." 
Hunting  the  ^n  catcnmg  tne  Bird  of  Paradise,  the  natives 
Bird  of  take  advantage  of  the  apparent  vanity  of  their 
Paradise.  victims.  "  In  May  when  they  are  in  full 
plumage,"  says  Mr.  Wallace,  "the  males  assemble  early  in  the 
morning  to  exhibit  themselves  in  a  most  singular  manner. 
This  habit  enables  the  natives  to  obtain  specimens  with 
comparative  ease.  As  soon  as  they  find  that  the  birds  have 
fixed  upon  a  tree  upon  which  to  assemble,  they  build  a 
little  shelter  of  palm  leaves  in  a  convenient  place  among  the 
branches,  and  the  hunter  ensconces  himself  in  it  before 
daylight,  armed  with  his  bow  and  a  number  of  arrows  ter- 
minating in  a  round  nob.  A  boy  waits  at  the  foot  of  the  tree, 
and  when  the  birds  come  at  sunrise,  and  a  sufficient  num- 
ber have  assembled,  and  have  begun  to  dance,  the  hunter 
shoots  with  his  blunt  arrow  so  strongly  as  to  stun  the  bird, 
which  drops  down,  and  is  secured  and  killed  by  the  boy, 
without  its  plumage  being  injured  by  a  drop  of  blood.  The 
rest  take  no  notice,  and  fall  one  after  another  till  some  of 


THE  SWALLOW.  273 

them   take   the   alarm."    The   Bird  of  Paradise  is  found  in 
New  Guinea  and  the  Papuan  Islands. 

The  Following  Mr.  Wallace's  order  we  come  now 

Tanagers.  to  the  second  class  of  the  perching  birds,  the 
Tanagroid  perchers,  with  the  more  important  species  of 
which  we  will  now  proceed  to  deal. 

The  Tanagers  are  found  in  America  and  the  West 

Tansger.  Indian  Islands.  Wilson,  the  American  ornitholo- 
gist, describing  the  scarlet  Tanager,  says :  "  Among  all  other 
birds  that  inhabit  our  woods,  there  is  none  that  strikes  the 
eye  of  the  stranger  or  even  a  native  with  so  much  brilliancy 
as  this.  Seen  among  the  green  leaves,  with  the  light  falling 
strongly  on  his  plumage,  he  really  appears  beautiful.  If  he 
has  little  melody  in  his  notes  to  charm  us,  he  has  nothing 
in  them  to  disgust.  His  manners  are  modest,  easy  and  in- 
offensive; he  commits  no  depredations  on  the  property  of  the 
husbandman,  but  rather  benefits  him  by  the  daily  destruction 
in  spring  of  many  noxious  insects;  and  when  winter  ap- 
proaches he  is  no  plundering  dependant,  but  seeks  in  a  distant 
country  for  that  sustenance  which  the  severity  of  the  season 
denies  to  his  industry  in  this.  He  is  a  striking  ornament  to 
our  rural  scenery  and  none  of  the  meanest  of  our  rural  song- 
sters. "  Its  body  is  scarlet  and  its  wings  and  tail  are  black. 
One  species  of  the  Tanager  is  known  as  the  Organist  Tanager 
from  the  richness  of  its  tones. 

The  Swallow.  Though  only  a  summer  friend  the  swallow  is 
among  the  most  popular  of  birds  in  England.  It  arrives 
in  April  and  is  always  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome,  and  when 
it  leaves  in  September  for  its  long  journey  across  the  sea  no 
one  would  withhold  from  it  a  "  God  speed ".  The  swallow 
builds  under  the  eaves  of  houses,  always  selecting  dry  and 
sheltered  spots.  Its  flight  is  very  rapid,  and  is  a  pretty  sight 
to  watch  as  it  skims  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  sometimes 
striking  it  with  its  wings  as  it  darts  hither  and  thither,  snapping 
at  the  flies  and  insects  which  come  within  its  reach.  The 

18 


274  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

marvellous  flights  of  these  birds  when  they  migrate  are  among 
the  many  wonderful  things  of  nature.  Humboldt  states  that 
he  saw  a  swallow  alight  on  the  rigging  of  his  vessel  when  it 
was  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  land.  How  such 
tiny  creatures  can  sustain  such  extended  flights  it  is  difficult 
to  understand. 

Swallows  in  Swallows  seem  to  understand  the  principle  of 
Council,  co-operation  and  what  the  family  is  unable  to 
do  for  itself  the  community  seems  always  ready  to  undertake  for 
it  Captain  Brown  tells  of  a  pair  of  swallows  who  returning  to 
their  last  year's  nest  found  it  occupied  by  a  robust  English 
sparrow.  The  sparrow  declined  to  give  up  the  nest  and  the 
swallows  were  not  strong  enough  to  eject  it,  whereupon  a 
council  was  called,  as  a  result  of  which  a  large  army  of  swallows 
proceeded  to  close  up  the  entrance  to  the  nest  with  clay, 
"leaving  the  sparrow  to  perish  in  the  garrison  it  had  so 
gallantly  defended."  This  happened  at  Strathendry,  Bleachfield, 
in  Fifeshire,  on  the  banks  of  the  Leven,  and  was  witnessed 
by  Mr.  Gavan  Inglis.  But  not  only  do  the  swallows  co- 
operate for  the  purposes  of  war;  Mr.  Inglis  was  a  witness 
of  another  effort  of  combination.  It  happened  that  a  pair 
of  swallows  had  built  a  nest  in  the  corner  of  one  of  his  windows, 
in  which  they  had  hatched  five  offspring.  The  parent  birds  fell 
victims  to  a  sportsman's  gun  and  Mr.  Inglis  contemplated  an 
attempt  to  rear  the  family  himself.  This,  however,  proved 
unnecessary.  In  a  very  short  time  a  number  of  swallows 
came  and  inspected  the  bereaved  dwelling,  apparently  noting 
the  condition  of  the  house  as  well  as  the  brood.  A  supply 
of  food  was  immediately  brought,  and  the  next  morning  the 
kindly  offices  were  renewed  and  thenceforward  continued 
until  the  young  were  able  to  provide  for  themselves.  Remark- 
able as  these  incidents  are  they  are  not  singular,  for  both 
have  been  known  to  occur  more  than  once. 

The  House  The  House  Martin  is  characterized  by  a  white 
spot  above  his  tail  which  adds  to  the  prettiness 


THE   FINCHES.  275 

of  his  appearance  in  flight.  The  summer  residence  of  this 
agreeable  bird  is  universally  among  the  habitations  of  man, 
who,  having  no  interest  in  its  destruction,  and  deriving 
considerable  advantage  as  well  as  amusement  from  its 
company,  is  generally  its  friend  and  protector. 

The  Martin  inhabits  America  as  well  as  Europe,  and  is  a 
particular  favourite  wherever  it  takes  up  his  abode.  "  I  never 
knew  but  one  man,"  says  Wilson,  "who  disliked  the  Martins, 
and  would  not  permit  them  to  settle  about  his  house:  this 
was  a  penurious,  close-fisted  German,  who  hated  them,  be- 
cause, as  he  said,  'they  eat  his  peas.1  I  told  him  he  cer- 
tainly must  be  mistaken,  as  I  never  knew  an  instance  of 
Martins  eating  peas;  but  he  replied  with  coolness,  'that  he  had 
many  times  seen  them  himself  blaying  near  the  hive,  and  going 
schnip  schnap,1  by  which  I  understood  that  it  was  his  bees  that 
were  the  sufferers;  and  the  charge  could  not  be  denied." 
The  Sand  The  Sand  Martin  is  the  smallest  of  the  British 
Martin,  swallows  and  it  is  the  first  to  arrive.  It  bores 
horizontal  holes  two  or  three  feet  deep  into  the  sides  of 
sand-pits,  at  the  end  of  which  it  builds  its  nest  of  grass 
and  feathers. 

The  Chaffinch.  The  Finches  are  beautiful  and  interesting 
The  Goldfinch,  birds.  The  Chaffinch  is  famous  for  the  vivacity 
The  Greenfinch.  of  itg  gong  and  ^  beauty  of  its  nest>  «  The 

forks  of  a  thorn,  or  wild  crab  tree,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "are 
favourite  places  for  the  nest,  which  is  composed  of  mosses, 
hair,  wool  and  feathers,  covered  on  the  exterior  with  lichens 
and  mosses  so  exactly  resembling  the  bough  on  which  the 
nest  is  placed  that  the  eye  is  often  deceived  by  its  appear- 
ance." The  Goldfinch  is  a  favourite  pet,  and  is  capable  of 
being  trained  to  perform  tricks.  It  has  been  called  the 
Thistlefinch  from  its  use  of  the  down  of  the  thistle  in  the 
construction  of  its  nest.  It  is  bright  of  appearance,  cheery 
of  song,  and  affectionate  of  disposition.  The  Greenfinch  has 
a  coat  of  rich  olive  green,  and  a  waistcoat  of  greyish-yellow. 


276  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  Linnet.  The  Linnet  ia  a  homely  looking  little  brown 
bird  with  a  sweet  melodious  voice.  It  frequents  commons 
and  waste  lands,  where  it  builds  its  nest  under  the  cover 
of  friendly  furze  bushes,  or  nearer  the  habitations  of  man,  in 
thick-set  hedges.  The  Linnet  is  the  natural  laureate  of  the 
English  cottage  home. 

The  The  Canary,  as  its  name  implies,  comes  from 

C*n*rf'  the  Canary  Islands,  but  it  has  been  so  crossed 
hi  breeding  that  it  differs  very  considerably  from  its  original 
ancestors.  Buffon  says:—"  If  the  nightingale  is  the  chauntress 
of  the  woods,  the  canary  is  the  musician  of  the  chamber; 
the  first  owes  all  to  nature,  the  second  something  to  art. 
With  less  strength  of  organ,  less  compass  of  voice,  and  less 
variety  of  note,  the  canary  has  a  better  ear,  greater  facility 
of  imitation,  and  a  more  retentive  memory ;  and  as  the 
difference  of  genius,  especially  among  the  lower  animals, 
depends  in  a  great  measure  on  the  perfection  of  their  senses, 
the  canary,  whose  organ  of  hearing  is  more  susceptible  of 
receiving  foreign  impressions,  becomes  more  social,  tame,  and 
familiar;  is  capable  of  gratitude  and  even  attachment;  its 
caresses  are  endearing,  its  little  humours  innocent,  and  its 
anger  neither  hurts  nor  offends.  Its  education  is  easy;  we 
hear  it  with  pleasure,  because  we  are  able  to  instruct  it.  It 
leaves  the  melody  of  its  own  natural  note,  to  listen  to  the 
melody  of  our  voices  and  instruments.  It  applauds,  it 
accompanies  us,  and  repays  the  pleasure  it  receives  with 
interest ;  while  the  nightingale,  more  proud  of  its  talent,  seems 
desirous  of  preserving  it  in  all  its  purity,  at  least  it  appears 
to  attach  very  little  value  to  ours  and  it  is  with  great  diffi- 
culty it  can  be  taught  any  of  our  airs.  The  canary  can  speak 
and  whistle;  the  nightingale  despises  our  words,  as  well  as 
our  airs,  and  never  fails  to  return  to  its  own  wild-wood 
notes.  Its  pipe  is  a  masterpiece  of  nature,  which  human 
art  can  neither  alter  nor  improve;  while  that  of  the  canary 
is  a  model  of  more  pliant  materials,  which  we  can  mould 


Dlate  No.   16 


MILES'   NATURAL  HISTORY 


.  -.  «  ^****-*L<rw***^~\ 


~£       ^**** 


THE  CANARY.  277 

at  pleasure;  and  therefore  it  contributes  in  a  much  greater 
degree  to  the  comforts  of  society.  It  sings  at  all  seasons, 
cheers  us  in  the  dullest  weather,  and  adds  to  our  happiness, 
by  amusing  the  young,  and  delighting  the  recluse,  charming 
the  tediousness  of  the  cloister,  and  gladdening  the  soul  of 
the  innocent  and  captive." 

The  Tame  The  canary  is  easily  tamed,  and  has  been  taught 
Canary.  to  perform  many  little  tricks,  indeed  groups  of 
them  have  been  trained  to  act  little  plays,  firing  cannons  and 
driving  coaches.  The  canary  shows  a  humane  disposition, 
has  been  known  to  foster  the  young  of  other  birds,  to  make 
friends  with  other  pets,  even  cats ;  to  show  great  affection  for 
its  master  and  to  die  of  grief  on  the  loss  of  its  mate.  Dr. 
Darwin  tells  of  "a  canary  bird  which  always  fainted  away 
when  its  cage  was  cleaned.  Having  desired  to  see  the 
experiment,"  says  Dr.  Darwin,  "the  cage  was  taken  from  the 
ceiling,  and  the  bottom  drawn  out.  The  bird  began  to  tremble, 
and  turned  quite  white  about  the  root  of  the  bill ;  he  then 
opened  his  mouth  as  if  for  breath,  and  respired  quickly; 
stood  up  straighter  on  his  perch,  hung  his  wing,  spread  his 
tail,  closed  his  eyes,  and  appeared  quite  stiff  for  half  an  hour, 
till  at  length,  with  trembling  and  deep  respirations,  he  came 
gradually  to  himself." 

The  The  Crossbill  must  be  mentioned  for  the  sake 

OrossbilL  of  the  peculiarity  indicated  by  its  name.  The 
points  of  the  beak  instead  of  being  straight  and  meeting  in 
a  common  point,  "  curve  to  the  right  and  left  and  always  in 
opposite  directions."  They  therefore  cross  each  other  and 
present  a  unique  appearance.  It  is  found  in  the  North  of 
Europe,  and  in  the  great  pine  forests  of  Germany. 

The  There  are  several  kinds  of  Bunting ;  the  Eng- 

Bunting.     jjsh   Bunting  common  to   wayside   hedges,    and 

familiar  from  its  habit  of  flitting  in  front  of  the  traveller,  and 

the  Snow  Bunting  of  the  northern  regions,  which  turns  white 

on  the  approach  of  snow. 


278  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  We    come   now   to  the  third  division  of  the 

Starlings.    Passeres  or  perching  birds,  to  which  Mr.  Wallace 

attaches  the  name  of  the  starlings.     "  The  starlings  or  Sturni- 

d<z"  says  Dr.  Percival  Wright,  "are  a  well  marked  old-world 

group.     No  species  of  the  family  are  found  in  Australia." 

The  The  Common   Starling  is  a  bird   of  passage, 

Common  arriving  in  England  about  the  beginning  of  March 
^^g'  and  leaving  some  time  in  October.  Knapp  says : — 
"There  is  something  singularly  curious  and  mysterious  in 
the  conduct  of  these  birds  previously  to  their  nightly  retire- 
ment, by  the  variety  and  intricacy  of  the  evolutions  they 
execute  at  that  time.  They  will  form  themselves,  perhaps, 
into  a  triangle,  then  shoot  into  a  long,  pear-shaped  figure, 
expand  like  a  sheet,  wheel  into  a  ball,  as  Pliny  observes, 
each  individual  striving  to  get  into  the  centre,  etc.,  with  a 
promptitude  more  like  parade  movements  than  the  actions  of 
birds.  As  the  breeding  season  advances,  these  prodigious 
flights  divide,  and  finally  separate  into  pairs,  and  form  their 
summer  settlements."  The  Starling  is  a  handsome  bird  and 
usually  nests  in  old  buildings,  though  it  has  a  preference  for 
a  dove-cote  if  it  can  gain  admission.  It  is  a  peaceable 
bird  and  for  all  its  military  evolutions  does  not  seem  to  war 
with  other  species.  Its  domestic  character  is  also  good. 
The  Weaver  The  Weaver  birds  which  are  included  in  this 
Bird.  division,  are  a  very  interesting  species.  They 
belong  to  Africa,  where  they  hang  their  nests  upon  trees, 
those  of  the  sociable  weaver  birds  giving  the  trees  the 
appearance  of  partially  thatched  wall-less  structures:*  Le  Vaillant 
thus  describes  his  experience  of  the  sociable  weaver  bird :  he 
says : — "  I  observed,  on  the  way,  a  tree  with  an  enormous  nest 
of  these  birds,  to  which  I  have  given  the  appellation  of 
republicans;  and  as  soon  as  I  arrived  at  my  camp,  I  dis- 
patched a  few  men  with  a  wagon  to  bring  it  to  me,  that 
I  might  open  the  hive  and  examine  its  structure  in  its  minutest 
parts.  When  it  arrived,  I  cut  it  to  pieces  with  a  hatchet 


THE  LARK,  279 

and  saw  that  the  chief  portion  of  the  structure  consisted  of 
a  mass  of  Buckmans  grass,  without  any  mixture,  but  so 
compactly  and  firmly  basketed  together,  as  to  be  impenetrable 
to  the  rain.  This  is  the  commencement  of  the  structure; 
and  each  bird  builds  its  particular  nest  under  this  canopy, 
the  upper  surface  remaining  void  without,  however,  being 
useless ;  for,  as  it  has  a  projecting  rim  and  is  a  little  inclined, 
it  serves  to  let  the  rain  water  run  off  and  preserve  each  little 
dwelling  from  the  rain.  Figure  to  yourself  a  huge,  irregular, 
sloping  roof,  all  the  eaves  of  which  are  completely  covered 
with  nests  crowded  one  against  another,  and  you  will  have 
a  tolerably  accurate  idea  of  these  singular  edifices.  Each 
individual  nest  is  three  or  four  inches  in  diameter,  which  is 
sufficient  for  the  bird.  But  as  they  are  all  in  contact  with 
one  another  around  the  eaves,  they  appear  to  the  eye  to 
form  one  building  and  are  distinguishable  from  each  other 
only  by  a  little  external  aperture  which  serves  as  an  entrance 
to  the  nest;  and  even  this  is  sometimes  common  to  three 
different  nests,  one  of  which  is  situated  at  the  bottom  and  the 
other  two  at  the  sides."  One  of  these  structures  examined 
by  Patterson  contained  three  hundred  and  twenty  inhabited 
cells. 

The  Lark.  The  skylark  is  common  all  over  Europe  and  is 
an  especial  favourite  in  the  British  Isles.  It  builds  its  nest 
on  the  ground  among  growing  com  or  high  grass,  and  shows 
especial  care  for  its  young.  Its  song  is  perhaps  the  most 
joyous  and  inspiriting  of  those  of  English  birds.  Captain 
Brown  quote»*the  following  interesting  particulars  of  its  song 
from  a  communication  made  by  Mr.  J.  Main  to  the  "  Magazine 
of  Natural  History:"  "His  joyous  matins  and  heavenward 
flight  have  been  aptly  compared  to  hymns  and  acts  of  adoration 
and  praise.  No  bird  sings  with  more  method:  there  is  an 
overture  performed  vivace  crescendo,  while  the  singer  ascends ; 
when  at  the  full  height,  the  song  becomes  moderate,  and 
distinctly  divided  into  short  passages,  each  repeated  three  or 


280  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

four  times  over,  like  a  fantasia,  in  the  same  key  and  time 
If  there  be  any  wind,  he  rises  perpendicularly  by  bounds, 
and  afterwards  poises  himself  with  breast  opposed  to  it.  U 
calm,  he  ascends  in  spiral  circles ;  in  horizontal  circles  during 
the  principal  part  of  his  song,  and  zigzagly  downwards  during 
the  performance  of  the  finale.  Sometimes,  after  descending 
about  half  way,  he  ceases  to  sing,  and  drops  with  the  velocity 
of  an  arrow  to  the  ground.  Those  acquainted  with  the  song 
of  the  skylark  can  tell  without  looking  at  them  whether  the 
birds  be  ascending  or  stationary  in  the  air,  or  on  their 
descent;  so  different  is  the  style  of  the  song  in  each  case. 
In  the  first,  there  is  an  expression  of  ardent  impatience;  in 
the  second,  an  andante  composure,  in  which  rests  of  a  bar 
at  a  time  frequently  occur;  and  in  the  last,  a  graduated 
sinking  of  the  strains." 

Mrs.  Bowdich  quoting  from  "The  Naturalist" 
Maternal  gives  the  following  pretty  story  of  the  maternal 
Instinct  of  instinct  of  the  Lark : — "  The  other  day,  some 
mowers  shaved  off  the  upper  part  of  the  nest  of 
a  skylark,  without  injuring  the  female,  who  was  sitting  on 
her  young:  still  she  did  not  fly  away;  and  the  mowers 
levelled  the  grass  all  round  her,  without  her  taking  any  notice 
of  their  proceedings.  The  son  of  the  owner  of  the  crop 
witnessed  this,  and,  about  an  hour  afterwards,  went  to  see 
if  she  were  safe;  when,  to  his  great  surprise,  he  found  that 
she  had  actually  constructed  a  dome  of  dry  grass  over  the 
nest  during  the  interval,  leaving  an  aperture  on  one  side  for 
ingress  and  egress;  thus  endeavouring  to  secure  a  continuance 
of  the  shelter  previously  supplied  by  the  long  grass."  Buffon 
tells  a  remarkable  story  of  the  self-sacrifice  of  a  young  lark 
who  took  upon  itself  the  duties  of  a  foster  mother.  He 
says : — "  A  young  hen  bird  was  brought  to  me  in  the  month 
of  May,  which  was  not  able  to  feed  without  assistance.  I 
caused  her  to  be  educated,  and  she  was  hardly  fledged  when 
I  received  from  another  place  a  nest  of  three  or  four  unfledged 


THE  WAGTAILS   AND  THE  PIPITS.  281 

skylarks.  She  took  a  strong  liking  to  these  new-comers, 
which  were  scarcely  younger  than  herself;  she  tended  them 
night  and  day,  cherished  them  beneath  her  wings,  and  fed 
them  with  her  bill.  Nothing  could  interrupt  her  tender  offices. 
If  the  young  ones  were  torn  from  her,  she  flew  to  them  as 
soon  as  she  was  liberated,  and  would  not  think  of  effecting 
her  own  escape,  which  she  might  have  done  a  hundred  times. 
Her  affection  grew  upon  her;  she  neglected  food  and  drink; 
she  now  required  the  same  support  as  her  adopted  offspring, 
and  expired  at  last  consumed  with  maternal  anxiety.  None 
of  the  young  ones  survived  her.  They  died  one  after  another; 
so  essential  were  her  cares,  which  were  equally  tender  and 
judicious." 

The  Lark  The  Lark  when  pursued  by  the  Hawk  has 
and  the  been  known  to  seek  refuge  under  the  protection 
aw  '  of  man,  as  the  following  quoted  by  Captain  Brown 
from  Bell's  "  Weekly  Messenger  "  will  show.  "  On  Wednesday, 
the  6th  of  October,  1805,  as  a  gentleman  was  sitting  on  the 
rocks  at  the  end  of  Collercot's  sands,  near  Tynemouth,  North- 
umberland, dressing  himself  after  bathing,  he  perceived  a 
hawk  in  the  air,  in  close  pursuit  of,  and  nearly  within  reach 
of  a  lark.  To  save  the  little  fugitive,  he  shouted  and  clapped 
his  hands,  when  immediately  the  lark  descended,  and  alighted 
on  his  knee,  nor  did  it  offer  to  leave  him,  when  taken  into 
the  hand,  but  seemed  confident  of  that  protection,  which  it 
found.  The  hawk  sailed  about  for  some  time.  The  gentleman, 
after  taking  the  lark  nearly  to  Tynemouth,  restored  it  to  its 
former  liberty." 
The  Wagtails  The  Wagtails,  of  which  family  the  Pied  Wag- 

and  Pipits,  tail  is  the  most  familiar,  derives  its  name  from 
its  habit  of  wagging  its  tail.  As  Mr.  Wood  says,  "it  settles 
on  the  ground  and  wags  its  tail;  it  runs  a  few  paces  and 
wags  its  tail  again;  pecks  an  insect,  and  again  its  tail  vibrates." 
It  frequents  sandbanks  and  the  margins  of  rivers  where  it 
finds  its  food.  It  is  found  in  England  throughout  the  year, 


282  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

migrating  to  the  southern  counties  in  the  early  winter.  The 
Pipits,  of  which  "The  Meadow  Pipit"  and  the  Tree  Pipit 
are  the  best  known  varieties,  are  found  all  over  the  British 
Isles  as  well  as  in  many  parts  of  Europe. 

The  Ant-        The  fourth  division  of  the  perching  birds  desig- 
Eatera.      nated  by  Mr.  Wallace,  the  Ant-Eaters,  includes 
a   large  number    of  American   varieties,  which  space  forbids 
us  even  to  enumerate.     One  or  two  must  suffice. 

The  King  The  King  Bird  or  Tyrant  Fly-catcher  of  North 
Bird.  America  is  small,  but  of  a  fearless  disposition, 
attacking  hawks,  crows,  and  other  larger  birds,  and  generally 
having  the  best  of  the  battle.  The  upper  part  of  its  body 
is  black  and  the  lower  of  a  delicate  white.  Its  song  is  a 
shrill  twittering  "resembling  the  jingling  of  a  bunch  of  keys." 
It  belongs  to  the  family  of  the  Tyrant  Shrikes  or  Tyrannidce. 
It  is  during  the  time  of  incubation  that  it  shows  so  much 
ferocity.  Wilson  says,  "I  have  seen  the  red-headed  wood- 
pecker while  clinging  on  a  rail  of  the  fence,  amuse  himself 
with  the  violence  of  the  king  bird,  and  play  'bo-peep'  with 
him  round  the  rail,  while  the  latter,  highly  irritated,  made 
every  attempt,  as  he  swept  from  side  to  side,  to  strike  him, 
but  in  vain.  All  his  turbulence  subsides  as  soon  as  his  young 
are  able  to  shift  for  themselves,  and  he  is  then  as  mild  and 
peaceable  as  any  other  bird." 

The  The   Chatterers,   or    Cotingida  include  among 

Chatterers,  them,  the  Cock  of  the  Rock,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  South -American  birds.  Resembling  a  pigeon  in 
size,  its  head  is  sufficiently  like  that  of  the  farm-yard  cock 
to  account  for  its  name,  which  is  also  made  to  indicate  the 
nature  of  its  haunts.  Its  coat  is  a  warm  saffron  yellow  and 
its  crest  resembles  a  fan.  Sir  Robert  Schomburgh  says : 
"While  traversing  the  Kikiritze  mountains  in  Guiana,  we 
saw  a  number  of  that  most  beautiful  bird,  the  cock-of-the- 
rock,  or  Rock  Manakin  (rupicola  elegans),  and  I  had  an  op- 
portunity of  witnessing  an  exhibition  of  some  of  its  very 


CLIMBING  BIRDS.  283 

| 

singular  antics,  of  which  I  had  heard  stories  from  the  Indians, 
but  had  hitherto  disbelieved  them.  Hearing  the  twittering 
noise  so  peculiar  to  the  Rupicola,  I  cautiously  stole  near,  with 
two  of  my  guides,  towards  a  spot  secluded  from  the  path 
from  four  to  five  feet  in  diameter,  and  which  appeared  to 
have  been  cleared  of  every  blade  of  grass,  and  smoothed  as 
by  human  hands.  There  we  saw  a  cock-of-the-rock,  capering 
to  the  apparent  delight  of  several  others,  now  spreading  its 
wings,  throwing  up  its  head,  or  opening  its  tail  like  a  fan ; 
now  strutting  about,  and  scratching  the  ground,  all  accom- 
panied by  a  hopping  gait,  until  tired,  when  it  gabbled  some 
kind  of  note,  and  another  relieved  it  Thus  three  of  them 
successively  took  the  field,  and  then  with  self-approbation 
withdrew  to  rest  on  one  of  the  low  branches  near  the  scene 
of  action.  We  had  counted  ten  cocks  and  two  hens  of  the 
party,  when  the  crackling  of  some  wood,  on  which  I  had 
unfortunately  placed  my  foot,  alarmed  and  dispersed  this 
dancing  party."  The  Bell  Bird  of  Brazil;  the  Umbrella  Bird 
of  the  Amazons,  the  Broadbills,  the  Plant  cutters,  the  Oven 
bird,  and  the  Ant-Thrushes  are  all  included  in  this  group. 
The  Lyre  The  Lyre  Bird,  which  according  to  the  classifi- 
Bird-  cation  we  are  following,  with  the  scrub  bird, 
forms  the  fifth  group  of  the  perching  birds,  belongs  to  Australia. 
The  Lyre  Bird  has  been  so  often  depicted  in  illustrations  that 
its  form  is  familiar  to  most  people.  The  tail  of  the  male 
bird  which  is  composed  of  three  different  kinds  of  feathers 
so  beautifully  resembles  the  Lyre  that  there  could  be  no 
hesitation  in  giving  the  bird  its  name.  Since  its  discovery  this 
bird  has  been  so  hunted  as  to  considerably  reduce  its  num- 
bers, and  the  tail  feathers  which  at  one  time  could  be  pur- 
chased at  a  low  price,  have  become  rare  and  costly. 
ORDER  II.  ^is  or(^er  includes  some  widely  different  spe- 
Climbera  and  cies  and  is  made  up  of  Scansores,  Climbers  and 
Gapers.  Fissirostres,  Gapers.  A  few  of  the  better  known 
species  are  all  that  we  can  mention. 


284  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

The  Wood-  The  green  Woodpecker  is  the  variety  best 
pecker,  known  in  England,  where  it  inhabits  the  woods 
and  feeds  upon  the  insects  it  finds  in  the  bark  of  trees. 
Audubon  writing  of  the  "Ivory-billed"  variety  says: — "The 
birds  pay  great  regard  to  the  particular  situation  of  the  tree, 
and  the  inclination  of  its  trunk;  first,  because  they  prefer 
retirement,  and  again,  because  they  are  anxious  to  secure  the 
aperture  against  the  access  of  water  during  beating  rains.  To 
prevent  such  a  calamity  the  hole  is  generally  dug  immediately 
under  the  junction  of  a  large  branch  with  the  trunk.  It  is 
first  bored  horizontally  for  a  few  inches,  then  directly  down- 
wards, and  not  in  a  spiral  manner  as  some  people  have 
imagined.  According  to  circumstances,  this  cavity  is  more  or 
less  deep,  being  sometimes  more  than  ten  inches,  whilst  at 
other  times  it  reaches  three  feet  downwards  into  the  core  of 
the  tree.  The  average  diameter  of  the  different  nests  which 
I  have  examined  was  about  seven  inches  within,  although 
the  entrance,  which  is  perfectly  round,  is  only  just  large 
enough  to  admit  the  bird."  Wilson  declares  that  during  the 
excavation  of  its  nest,  which  occupies  several  days,  the  wood- 
pecker will  often  carry  the  chips  and  strew  them  at  a  distance 
to  divert  suspicion.  Audubon  describing  the  Red-headed 
Woodpecker  says : — "  With  the  exception  of  the  mocking 
bird,  I  know  no  species  so  gay  and  frolicsome.  Their  whole 
life  is  one  of  pleasure." 

The        This  bird  which  was  known  to  the  Greeks,  and 

Wryneck,  described  by  Aristotle,  forms  with  its  allied  species 
a  connecting  link  between  the  Woodpecker  and  the  Cuckoo. 
It  feeds  on  caterpillars  and  insects  which  it  catches  with  its 
long  sticky  tongue,  with  such  rapidity  of  movement  that  the 
eye  cannot  follow  it. 

The  Cuckoo.  The  Cuckoo  is  always  welcomed  in  England 
as  the  harbinger  of  Spring.  Its  cry  is  one  of  the  most  easily 
distinguished  of  bird  songs,  and  is  the  nearest  approach  to 
a  definite  musical  interval  produced  by  any  bird.  The  habit 


THE  CUCKOO.  285 

of  the  cuckoo  of  laying  its  eggs  in  the  nests  of  other  birds, 
has  given  rise  to  much  speculation,  ancient  and  modem,  and 
now,  though  the  fact  remains,  a  sufficiently  satisfactory 
reason  seems  as  remote  as  ever.  The  nest  of  the  Hedge- 
sparrow  seems  to  be  the  one  most  often  selected,  though  that 
of  the  wagtail  is  sometimes  chosen.  The  consequences  to 
the  young  of  the  native  bird,  are  somewhat  serious  as  the 
following  will  show. 

The  Cuckoo  ^r'  Jenner>  ^e  discoverer  of  vaccination 
and  the  says :— "On  the  i8th  of  June,  1787,  I  exam- 
Hedge-Sparrow.  me(j  faQ  nest  of  a  hedge-sparrow  (Accentor 
modularis),  which  then  contained  a  cuckoo  and  three  hedge- 
sparrows'  eggs.  On  inspecting  it  the  day  following,  the  bird 
had  hatched;  but  the  nest  then  contained  only  a  young 
cuckoo  and  one  hedge-sparrow.  The  nest  was  placed  so  near 
the  extremity  of  a  hedge,  that  I  could  distinctly  see  what  was 
going  forward  in  it;  and,  to  my  great  astonishment,  I  saw 
the  young  cuckoo,  though  so  lately  hatched,  in  the  act  of 
turning  out  the  young  hedge-sparrow.  The  mode  of  accom- 
plishing this  was  very  curious ;  the  little  animal,  with  the 
assistance  of  its  rump  and  wings,  contrived  to  get  the  bird 
upon  its  back,  and  making  a  lodgment  for  its  burthen  by 
elevating  its  elbows,  clambered  backwards  with  it  up  the  side 
of  the  nest  till  it  reached  the  top,  where,  resting  for  a  moment, 
it  threw  off  its  load  with  a  jerk,  and  quite  disengaged  it  from 
the  nest.  It  remained  in  this  situation  for  a  short  time, 
feeling  about  with  the  extremities  of  its  wings,  as  if  to  be 
convinced  whether  the  business  was  properly  executed,  and 
then  dropped  into  the  nest  again.  I  afterwards  put  in  an 
egg,  and  this,  by  a  similar  process,  was  conveyed  to  the  edge 
of  the  nest  and  thrown  out.  These  experiments  I  have  since 
repeated  several  times,  in  different  nests,  and  have  always 
found  the  young  cuckoo  disposed  to  act  in  the  same  manner. 
"It  sometimes  happens  that  two  cuckoos'  eggs  are  deposited 
in  the  same  nest,  and  then  the  young  produced  from  one  of 


286  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

them  must  inevitably  perish.  Two  cuckoos  and  one  hedge- 
sparrow  were  hatched  in  the  same  nest,  and  one  hedge- 
sparrow's  egg  remained  unhatched.  In  a  few  hours  afterwards 
a  contest  began  between  the  cuckoos  for  the  possession  of  the 
nest,  which  continued  undetermined  till  the  next  afternoon, 
when  one  of  them,  which  was  somewhat  superior  in  size, 
turned  out  the  other,  together  with  the  young  hedge-sparrow 
and  the  unhatched  egg.  The  combatants  alternately  appeared 
to  have  the  advantage,  as  each  carried  the  other  several  times 
to  the  top  of  the  nest,  and  then  sunk  down  again,  oppressed 
by  the  weight  of  the  burthen ;  till  at  length,  after  various 
efforts,  the  strongest  prevailed,  and  was  afterwards  brought 
up  by  the  hedge-sparrow."  Jenner's  experiences  have  been 
corroborated  by  repeated  experiments  since.  Colonel  Montague 
carried  a  hedge-sparrow's  nest,  so  inhabited,  into  his  house 
where  he  could  watch  it  at  leisure  and  where  he  saw  the 
young  cuckoo  frequently  oust  the  baby  hedge-sparrow  in 
the  manner  described.  The  cuckoo  feeds  on  caterpillars,  and 
insects.  It  may  be  tamed,  but  as  a  rule  does  not  live  long 
in  confinement.  Its  note  is  heard  from  April  to  June. 

That  the  cuckoo   is  scarcely  an  amiable  bird 

x  HO 

Cuckoo  would  appear  from  the  following  incident  recorded 
and  the  by  Tjr  Stanley :  "  A  young  thrush,  just  able  to 
feed  itself,  was  placed  in  a  cage.  A  short  time 
after,  a  young  cuckoo,  which  could  not  feed  itself,  was  placed 
in  the  same  cage,  and  fed  by  the  owner.  At  length  it  was 
observed  that  the  thrush  fed  it;  the  cuckoo  opening  its 
mouth,  and  sitting  on  the  upper  perch,  and  making  the  thrush 
hop  down  to  fetch  its  food.  One  day,  while  thus  expecting 
its  supply,  a  worm  was  put  into  the  cage,  and  the  thrush 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  eating  it,  upon  which  the 
cuckoo  descended,  attacked  the  thrush  with  fury,  and  literally 
tore  out  one  of  its  eyes,  and  then  hopped  back.  Although 
so  lacerated,  the  poor  thrush  meekly  took  up  some  food,  and 
continued  to  do  so  till  the  cuckoo  was  full  grown." 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


THE  KINGFISHER.  287 

The  The  Trogons  are  among  the  most  gorgeous  of 

Trogona.  living  birds;  the  brilliance  of  their  plumage  defy- 
ing verbal  description.  Their  main  colour  is  "  a  metallic  golden 
green,  boldly  contrasted  with  scarlet,  black,  and  brown. " 
"  The  Resplendent  Trogon,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "is  the  most  gor- 
geous of  all  this  gorgeous  family.  Its  long  and  gracefully 
curved  tail  is  nearly  three  feet  long,  and  the  whole  of  the 
upper  surface,  and  the  throat,  are  a  glowing  green ;  the  breast 
and  under  parts  are  bright  crimson;  the  middle  feathers  of 
the  tail  black,  and  the  outer  feathers  white. "  These  birds 
are  natives  of  Mexico. 

The  The  Kingfishers  are  a  wide-spread  family,  being 

Kingfisher,  found  all  over  the  world.  There  are  numerous 
varieties,  of  which  the  Common  Kingfisher  and  the  Laughing 
Kingfisher  are  all  that  we  can  notice.  The  Common  King- 
fisher is  indigenous  in  England  where  it  usually  lives  on  the 
banks  of  rivers  and  streams,  feeding  upon  fish  and  insects. 
It  makes  burrows  or  holes  in  the  banks,  where  it  lays  its  eggs 
and  rears  its  young;  fishing  from  the  low  branches  of  trees 
which  overspread  the  water.  When  the  fish  is  caught  it  is 
beaten  to  death  against  some  hard  substance  and  then 
swallowed  whole,  head  foremost  The  Common  Kingfisher 
is  somewhat  larger  than  the  lark,  and  has  a  beautiful  metallic 
coat  which  shimmers  with  a  very  pleasing  effect  as  it  darts 
among  the  greenery  of  the  river  bank  or  flies  along  the 
surface  of  the  water.  The  Laughing  Kingfisher  belongs  to 
Australia  and  is  so  named  from  its  peculiar  cry.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  species  of  its  kind.  Other  species  belong  to  the 
Moluccas  and  New  Guinea,  and  a  few  to  America. 

The  The  Hornbill  is  famous  for  the  size  and  shape 

HornbilL  of  fts  bill,  which  is  very  large.  There  are  several 
varieties,  African  and  Indian.  They  live  mostly  on  fruit, 
though  some  are  said  to  eat  reptiles.  They  have  some  very 
curious  habits.  Mr.  Wallace  describes  the  habit  of  the  male 
Hornbill  of  shutting  up  the  female  during  the  period  of 


288  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

incubation  and  feeding  her  through  a  small  hole  left  open  for 
the  purpose. 

The  Goat-  The  goat-sucker  is  so  called  from  the  belief 
Suckers.  iong  entertained  that  it  was  in  the  habit  of  sucking 
the  teat  of  the  goat.  There  are  several  varieties  and  they  are 
remarkable  for  the  strangeness  of  their  cries.  The  Goat-sucker 
has  sometimes  been  called  the  Night-jar  from  its  discordant 
note,  it  is  also  known  as  the  Fern  Owl.  Mr.  Wood  says : — "  It 
may  be  seen  at  the  approach  of  evening  silently  wheeling 
round  the  trees,  capturing  the  nocturnal  moths  and  beetles; 
then  occasionally  settling  and  uttering  its  jarring  cry.  When 
flying  the  bird  sometimes  makes  its  wings  meet  over  its  back, 
and  brings  them  together  with  a  smart  snap.  It  arrives  in 
England  in  the  beginning  of  May  and  leaves  in  December. 
The  Whip-poor-will  and  the  Chuck-will's-widow  both  belong 
to  this  family." 

The  Whip-  The  Whip-poor-will,  which  is  peculiar  to  America, 
poor-WilL  is  celebrated  for  its  singular  melody,  which  is 
heard  in  spring  to  issue  at  night  from  the  woods  and  glens 
of  all  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  a  rapid  warbling  repetition 
of  the  name  given  to  the  bird,  and  is  so  distinctly  pronounced, 
as  to  seem  like  the  voice  of  a  human  being.  It  is  a  solitary 
bird,  remaining  silent  and  sequestered  during  the  day,  but  at 
night  it  often  approaches  a  dwelling,  and  pours  forth  its 
song  upon  the  door-step,  or  a  neighbouring  tree. 
Chuck-Will's-  This  bird,  also  peculiar  to  America,  is  about 
Widow.  •  a  foot  m  length,  resembling  in  colour,  form,  and 
habits,  the  whip-poor-will.  It  is  a  solitary  bird,  frequenting 
glens  and  hollows,  and  seldom  making  its  appearance  during 
the  day.  Its  song,  which  is  uttered,  like  that  of  the  whip- 
poor-will,  at  night,  is  a  constant  repetition  of  the  sound, 
chuck-will's-widow,  very  distinctly  articulated.  It  is  common 
in  Georgia,  and  is  regarded  by  the  Creek  Indians  with  super- 
stitious awe.  It  is  very  seldom  seen  in  the  Middle  or  Eastern 
States;  "but  I  recollect  once,"  says  an  American  writer,  "to  have 


THE   SWIFT— THE    HUMMING  BIRD.  289 

known  a  whole  village  in  New  England  in  terror  and  amaze- 
ment at  hearing  one  of  them  singing  its  strange  song  on 
the  edge  of  a  swamp.  The  superstitious  part  of  the  inhabitants 
considered  it  a  prediction  of  some  evil  that  was  to  befall  a 
widow  of  the  parish ;  but  there  was  a  diversity  of  opinion  as 
to  who  the  hapless  Chuck- will's- widow  might  be." 

The  The  Swift,  so  called  from  the  remarkable  speed 

Swift.  of  his  flight,  is  also  known  as  "Jack  screamer" 
from  the  shrillness  of  his  voice.  He  winters  in  Africa  and 
arrives  in  England  about  May,  remaining  until  about  the 
middle  of  August.  He  builds  his  nest  under  the  eaves  of 
houses  and  frequents  steeples  and  other  lofty  edifices, 
forming  his  nest  of  grasses  and  feathers.  The  esculent  swift, 
so  called  from  the  fact  that  its  nests  are  edible,  builds  at 
the  sides  of  almost  inaccessible  cliffs,  a  habit  which  renders 
the  collection  of  these  singular  dainties  very  dangerous.  The 
nests  aie  formed  »f  mucilaginous  sea-weeds  and  have  the 
appearance  of  isinglass.  They  are  considered  great  delicacies 
in  China,  where  they  are  found.  They  abound  in  Java.  The 
swifts  resemble  the  swallows  in  several  particulars  and  have 
often  been  classed  with  them,  there  are,  however,  important 
differences  which  separate  them. 

Th«  Humming  There  are  hundreds  of  kinds  of  Humming  Birds, 
Bird.  nearly  all  of  them  natives  of  America,  where 
they  frequent  the  gardens,  and  sip  the  honey  from  the 
honeysuckle  and  other  plants,  like  the  hive  and  humble  bee. 
The  humming  bird  is  several  times  larger  than  the  latter,  but  flies 
so  swiftly  as  almost  to  elude  the  sight.  Its  wings,  when  it  is 
balancing  over  the  flower,  produce  a  humming  sound,  from  which 
it  takes  its  name.  It  is  the  smallest  of  the  feathered  race,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  elegance  of  its  form,  and 
the  glossy  brilliancy  of  its  delicate  plumage.  Small  as  it  is, 
however,  it  is  exceedingly  courageous,  and  has  violent  passions. 
The  length  of  this  bird  is  three  niches;  it  lives  partly  on 
honey  obtained  from  flowers,  but  devours  also  great  quan- 


290  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

titles  of  very  small  insects.  The  general  colour  is  a  rich 
golden  green  on  the  upper  parts;  the  breast  and  neck  are 
of  a  dusky  white.  Its  nest  is  very  small,  and  is  elegantly 
lined  with  the  down  of  the  mullein.  It  is  covered  on  the 
outside  with  moss,  to  imitate  the  colour  of  the  limb  on  which 
it  is  built. 

ORDER  III.  The  parrots  never  fail  to  interest,  on  account 
The  Parrots,  of  their  beauty  of  form  and  colour,  and  their 
aptitude  for  imitating  common  sounds.  There  are  some  hundreds 
of  species,  belonging  to  different  parts  of  the  world,  the 
Cockatoos  to  Australia,  the  Macaws  to  America,  and  many 
varieties  to  Africa.  The  Macaws  and  some  other  kinds 
are  among  the  most  gorgeous  of  living  birds  and  whether 
seen  in  their  native  wilds  or  in  the  aviaries  of  civilisation 
never  fail  to  excite  admiration.  The  Cockatoo  is  distinguished 
from  the  true  parrot  by  its  crest ;  other  species  are  differentiated 
by  habit,  size,  colour,  and  form.  The  better  known  of  these 
are,  the  Sulphur-crested  Cockatoo,  the  Ground  parrot,  the 
Macaw,  the  Grey  parrot,  the  Green  parrot,  the  Parrakeets 
and  the  Love-birds. 

The  Parrot's  Many  stories  are  told  of  the  remarkable  powers 
Intelligence.  of  individual  parrots  and  the  singular  appropri- 
ateness of  their  remarks  on  particular  occasions.  These  are 
often  so  startling  as  to  arouse  suspicion  of  their  authenticity, 
and  yet  a  moment's  reflection  will  show  that  coincidence 
plays  a  large  part  in  these  demonstrations,  and  that  many  of 
the  most  astonishing  examples  of  felicitous  interjection,  or 
repartee,  are  due  to  this,  and  not  to  any  special  gift  of 
intelligence  on  the  part  of  the  bird.  An  ordinary  parrot  with 
half  a  dozen  phrases  which  it  is  constantly  repeating,  will  in 
the  nature  of  things,  often  use  them  in  singularly  felicitous 
connection  with  current  conversation.  No  notice  is  taken  of 
the  many  instances  in  which  the  phrase  is  inappropriate  and 
yet  a  few  cases  of  remarkable  fitness  are  held  to  demonstrate 
extraordinary  intelligence.  Teach  a  parrot  such  a  simple 


THE  PARROTS.  291 

rejoinder  as  "  not  I ! "  and  the  bird  using  it  in  answer  to  all 
sorts  of  questions,  will  often  use  it  with  apparent  intelligence, 
but  a  doll  might  be  made  to  show  equal  wit.  That  parrots 
are  taught  to  give  certain  answers  to  certain  questions  is  of 
course  true,  but  in  these  cases  the  questions  suggest  the  answers 
and  all  the  intelligence  is  shown  by  the  interrogator.  Those 
birds  which  have  lived  many  years  and  acquired  many  phrases, 
will  naturally,  from  the  extent  of  their  repertoire,  the  more  often 
surprise  their  hearers;  but  that  they  show  any  greater  intelli- 
gence may  perhaps  be  doubted.  That  some  of  the  parrots, 
and  especially  the  Love-birds,  show  great  feeling  for  each 
other  and  attachment  to  their  owners  is  well  known,  but  the 
claim  sometimes  made  that  they  show  greater  intelligence 
than  any  other  birds  may  be  very  safely  disputed.  The  term 
"parrot-like,"  as  applied  to  the  repetition  of  lessons  by  rote 
which  are  not  understood  by  those  repeating  them,  involves 
no  injustice  to  the  parrot. 

Famous  There  have  been  many  famous  parrots  who 
Parrots,  have  played  their  part  in  history  if  they  have 
not  rivalled  the  geese  that  saved  Rome.  The  Emperor  Basilius 
Macedo  was  induced  by  a  Parrot,  who  cast  a  gloom  over 
the  guests  at  a  banquet  by  continually  calling  out,  "Alas, 
alas!  poor  Prince  Leo",  to  liberate  his  son  whom  he  had 
confined  on  suspicion  of  treason.  The  Emperor  observed  the 
gloom  of  his  guests  and  urged  them  to  the  pleasures  of  the 
table,  when  one  of  them  is  said  to  have  responded,  "How 
should  we  eat,  Sire,  when  we  are  thus  reproached  by  this 
bird  of  our  want  of  duty  to  your  family  ?  The  brute  animal 
is  mindful  of  its  Lord;  and  we  that  have  reason,  have  neg- 
lected to  supplicate  your  Majesty  in  behalf  of  the  prince,  whom 
we  all  believe  to  be  innocent,  and  to  suffer  under  calumny." 
Whether  the  bird  had  been  purposely  taught  this  phrase,  or 
had  merely  acquired  it  by  hearing  its  frequent  repetition  does 
not  appear.  The  following  memorial  which  appeared  in  the 
London  papers  in  October  1822  is  quoted  from  the  "Percy 


292  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Anecdotes."  "A  few  days  ago,  died,  in  Half  Moon  Street, 
Piccadilly,  the  celebrated  parrot  of  Colonel  O'Kelly.  This 
singular  bird  sang  a  number  of  songs  in  perfect  time  and 
tune.  She  could  express  her  wants  articulately,  and  give  her 
orders  in  a  manner  nearly  approaching  to  rationality.  Her 
age  was  not  known ;  it  was,  however,  more  than  thirty  year?; 
for  previous  to  that  period,  Colonel  O'Kelly  bought  her  at 
Bristol  for  one  hundred  guineas.  The  Colonel  was  repeatedly 
offered  five  hundred  guineas  a  year  for  the  bird,  by  persons 
who  wished  to  make  a  public  exhibition  of  her ;  but  this,  out 
of  tenderness  to  the  favourite,  he  constantly  refused.  She 
could  not  only  repeat  a  great  number  of  sentences,  but  answer 
questions  put  to  her.  When  singing,  she  beat  time  with  all 
the  appearance  of  science;  and  so  accurate  was  her  judgment 
that  if  by  chance  she  mistook  a  note,  she  would  revert  to 
the  bar  where  the  mistake  was  made,  correct  herself,  and  still 
beating  regular  time,  go  through  the  whole  with  wonderful 
exactness."  A  Grey  parrot  is  said  to  have  been  sold  in  1500, 
for  a  hundred  guineas,  to  a  Lord,  High  Cardinal  at  Rome,  on 
account  of  its  ability  to  repeat,  without  error,  the  Apostles' 
Creed. 

The  Orey  The  Grey  Parrot  though  less  attractive  in  colour 
Parrot.  than  other  species,  is  perhaps  the  most  popular 
of  the  parrot  family  on  account  of  its  superior  accomplishments 
as  an  imitator  of  familiar  sounds.  Mr.  Jesse  secured  from 
a  lady  friend  a  description  of  the  performances  of  a  grey 
parrot  which  resided  at  Hampton  Court,  from  which  we 
quote  the  following :  "  Her  laugh  is  quite  extraordinary,  and 
it  is  impossible  not  to  help  joining  in  it,  more  especially 
when  in  the  midst  of  it  she  cries  out,  'Don't  make  me 
laugh  so;  I  shall  die,  I  shall  die!'  and  then  continues 
laughing  more  violently  than  before.  Her  crying  and  sob- 
bing are  curious;  and  if  you  say,  'Poor  Poll,  what  is  the 
matter?'  she  says,  'So  bad,  so  bad;  got  such  a  cold;'  and 
after  crying  some  time,  will  gradually  cease,  and  making 


THE  GREY  PARROT.  293 

a  noise  like  drawing  a  long  breath,  say,  'Better  now/  and 
begins  to  laugh."  "  If  any  one  happens  to  cough  or  sneeze, 
she  says,  'what  a  bad  cold.'  She  calls  the  cat  very  plainly, 
saying,  'puss,  puss,'  and  then  answers  'mew';  but  the  most 
amusing  part  is,  that  whenever  I  want  to  make  her  call  it, 
and  to  that  purpose  say,  'puss,  puss',  myself  she  always 
answers,  'mew',  till  I  begin  mewing;  and  then  she  begins 
calling  'puss',  as  quickly  as  possible.  She  imitates  every  kind 
of  noise,  and  barks  so  naturally,  that  I  have  known  her  to 
set  all  the  dogs  on  the  parade  of  Hampton  Court  barking, 
and  the  consternation  I  have  seen  her  cause  in  a  party  of 
cocks  and  hens,  by  her  crowing  and  chuckling,  has  been  the 
most  ludicrous  thing  possible.  She  sings  just  like  a  child  and 
I  have  more  than  once  thought  it  was  a  human  being;  and 
it  is  most  ludicrous  to  hear  her  make  what  one  would  call 
a  false  note  and  then  say,  'oh  la!'  and  burst  out  laughing 
at  herself,  beginning  again  in  quite  another  key.  She  is  very 
fond  of  singing  '  Buy  a  Broom ',  which  she  says  quite  plainly, 
but  if  we  say,  with  a  view  to  make  her  repeat  it,  'Buy  a 
Broom',  she  always  says  'Buy  a  Brush\  and  then  laughs  as 
a  child  might  do  when  mischievous.  She  often  performs  a 
kind  of  exercise  which  I  do  not  know  how  to  describe, 
except  by  saying  that  it  is  like  the  lance  exercise.  She  puts 
her  claw  behind  her,  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other, 
then  in  front,  and  round  over  her  head ;  and  whilst  doing  so, 
keeps  saying,  'Come  on,  come  on!'  and  when  finished  she 
says  'Bravo,  beautiful,'  and  draws  herself  up." 

Parrot  To  deny  the  parrot  the  understanding  of  what 
Talk.  ^  Says,  is  to  relieve  it  of  the  responsibility  of 
using  bad  language,  and  offering  unsound  advice,  and  this 
it  surely  needs.  A  gentleman  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
kissing  his  parrot  and  then  kissing  his  wife,  before  leaving 
home  in  the  morning,  taught  the  bird  to  say,  on  being  kissed, 
"Now  kiss  the  missus,"  with  the  result  that  most  of  the 
gentlemen  visitors  who  took  any  notice  of  the  parrot  were 


2Q4  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN   ANECDOTE. 

recommended  to  salute  the  lady  of  the  house.  Another 
parrot  whose  cage  occupied  a  window  close  to  a  fashionable 
church  continually  accosted  the  passers-by,  by  calling  out 
"That's  right!  Go  to  church,  keep  up  appearances."  Such 
remarks  must  often  be  very  embarrassing,  as  must  have 
been  the  words  and  actions  of  a  parrot  who  frequently 
called  out  "Who  kissed  the  pretty  girl?"  and  then  gave 
a  perfect  imitation  of  the  sound  of  several  kisses  in  suc- 
cession. Perhaps  no  more  aggravating  use  was  ever  made 
of  a  parrot's  powers  than  that  witnessed  by  Buffon,  who 
says,  "  I  have  seen  a  parrot  very  ridiculously  employed, 
belonging  to  a  distiller  who  had  suffered  pretty  severely  in 
his  circumstances  from  an  informer  who  lived  opposite  him. 
This  bird  was  taught  to  pronounce  the  ninth  commandment, 
— 'Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbour,'  with 
a  very  clear,  loud,  articulate  voice.  The  bird  was  generally 
placed  in  a  cage  over  against  the  informer's  house,  and  delighted 
the  whole  neighbourhood  with  its  persevering  exhortations." 
ORDER  IV.  There  are  many  varieties  of  pigeons,  some 
Pigeons.  being  peculiar  to  certain  districts,  and  others 
covering  a  much  more  extended  geographical  area.  Mr. 
Darwin  divides  the  British  varieties  into  four  groups:  I.  The 
English  carrier ;  the  Runt,  and  the  Barb.  II.  The  Fantail ; 
the  African  owl ;  the  Short-faced  Tumbler ;  the  Indian  Frill- 
back;  and  the  Jacobin.  III.  The  English  Pouter,  and  IV.  The 
Dove-cote  pigeon ;  the  Swallow ;  the  Spot ;  the  Nun ;  the 
English  Frill-back ;  the  Laugher,  and  the  Trumpeter.  The 
Passenger  pigeon  of  America,  the  Nicobar  pigeon  of  the 
Philippine  Islands,  the  Great-crowned  pigeon  of  New  Guinea 
and  the  Hook-billed  ground  pigeon  of  Samoa  are  other  im- 
portant species. 

Carrier          In  the  "  Percy  Anecdotes  "  there  is  a  brief  history 

Pigeons.     of  the  use  of  carrier  pigeons,  which  we  quote  as 

follows : — "The  first  mention  we  find  made  of  the  employment 

of  pigeons  as  letter  carriers  is  by   Ovid,   in  his  'Metamor- 


PIGEONS.  295 

phoses',  who  tells  us  that  Taurosthenes,  by  a  pigeon  stained 
with  purple,  gave  notice  of  his  having  been  victor  at  the 
Olympic  games  on  the  very  same  day  to  his  father  at  ^gina. 
Pliny  informs  us  that  during  the  siege  of  Modena  by  Marc 
Antony,  pigeons  were  employed  by  Brutus  to  keep  up  a. cor- 
respondence with  the  besieged.  When  the  city  of  Ptolemais, 
in  Syria,  was  invested  by  the  French  and  Venetians,  and  it 
was  ready  to  fall  into  their  hands,  they  observed  a  pigeon 
flying  over  them,  and  immediately  conjectured  that  it  was 
charged  with  letters  to  the  garrison.  On  this,  the  whole  army 
raising  a  loud  shout,  so  confounded  the  poor  aerial  post  that 
it  fell  to  the  ground,  and  on  being  seized,  a  letter  was  found 
under  its  wings,  from  the  sultan,  in  which  he  assured  the 
garrison  that  'he  would  be  with  them  in  three  days,  with  an 
army  sufficient  to  raise  the  siege. '  For  this  letter  the  besiegers 
substituted  another  to  this  purpose,  'that  the  garrison  must 
see  to  their  own  safety,  for  the  sultan  had  such  other  affairs 
pressing  him  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  come  to  their 
succour;'  and  with  this  false  intelligence  they  let  the  pigeon 
free  to  pursue  his  course.  The  garrison,  deprived  by  this 
decree  of  all  hope  of  relief,  immediately  surrendered.  The 
sultan  appeared  on  the  third  day,  as  promised,  with  a  power- 
ful army,  and  was  not  a  little  mortified  to  find  the  city  already 
in  the  hands  of  the  Christians.  Carrier  pigeons  were  again 
employed,  but  with  better  success,  at  the  siege  of  Leyden,  in 
1675.  The  garrison  were,  by  means  of  the  information  thus 
conveyed  to  them,  induced  to  stand  out,  till  the  enemy, 
despairing  of  reducing  the  place,  withdrew.  On  the  siege 
being  raised,  the  Prince  of  Orange  ordered  that  the  pigeons 
who  had  rendered  such  essential  service  should  be  maintained 
at  the  public  expense,  and  that  at  their  death  they  should  be 
embalmed  and  preserved  in  the  town  house,  as  a  perpetual 
token  of  gratitude." 

Pigeons  on      Pigeons  are  said  to  travel  as  fast  as  2,200  yards 
the  Wing,   per  minute  and  to  sustain  flight  for  hundreds  of 


2 96  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

miles  at  a  stretch.  The  extraordinary  manner  in  which  they 
will  find  their  way  almost  incredible  distances  has  suggested 
all  kinds  of  speculation  as  to  the  instinct  or  sense  which 
guides  them.  A  well  known  pigeon  fancier,  interviewed  by  a 
writer  who  published  the  results  of  the  interview  in  "  Chums  " 
(Cassell  &  Co.)  says,  "  The  popular  notion  that  carrier  pigeons 
are  guided  by  some  'direction  sense,'  or  blind  instinct,  is 
quite  as  absurd  as  the  French  belief  that  they  follow  certain 
electrical  currents.  I  have  had  to  do  with  pigeons  for  over 
twenty  years,"  he  continued,  "and  I  am  open  to  demonstrate 
to  anyone  that  in  flight  they  are  guided  by  sight  alone.  Of 
course,  some  pigeons  are  more  sagacious,  cleverer  than  others  ; 
but  the  fact  remains,  and  everything  tends  to  prove  it.  For 
example,  no  carrier-pigeon  can  find  its  way  over  a  strange 
country:  it  often  gets  lost  in  a  fog;  and  again,  until  taught 
by  experience,  it  is  often  led  astray  by  colours  and  objects 
which  appear  to  be  familiar.  Quite  recently,  when  I  was 
trying  some  young  birds,  I  had  an  instance  of  how  easily 
they  may  be  led  astray.  Close  to  my  residence  is  a  large 
red-brick  building,  which,  to  an  old  bird,  would  prove  a  good 
landmark  miles  away.  In  this  case,  however,  the  birds  had 
not  been  tried  before,  although,  of  course,  they  had  been  let 
loose  and  had  circled  round  the  loft  for  several  weeks.  I 
took  five  birds  with  me  some  half-mile  distant  from  home; 
and,  letting  them  loose  separately  from  the  box,  was  rather 
surprised  to  see  four  out  of  the  five,  after  circling  round, 
fly  off  in  an  entirely  opposite  direction  to  that  in  which  they 
should  have  gone.  I  soon  solved  the  mystery,  however,  for, 
watching  the  birds,  I  saw  they  were  making  for  another 
red-brick  building,  which  showed  up  clearly  in  the  sunlight. 
Arriving  there,  each  one  evidently  discovered  its  mistake, 
and,  after  flying  back  to  the  starting-point,  found  their  where- 
abouts, and  made  for  home — not  in  a  straight  line,  however, 
for  young  birds  invariably  take  a  crooked,  tortuous  path,  as 
though  feeling  their  way.  If  pigeons  are  let  loose  on  water 


FOWLS.  297 

(from  a  boat  in  a  lake  or  wide  river),  they  always  make  for 
the  nearest  land  first;  then,  circling  round,  widening  their 
circle  and  rising  higher  at  the  same  time,  they  keep  the 
starting-point  in  view  until  they  sight  some  familiar  object,  in 
which  direction  they  travel.  If  a  bird  is  dull,  or  'stupid,'  as 
we  term  it,  and  has  been  tried  from  various  points  of  the 
compass,  it  often  happens  that,  when  taken  to  a  distance 
(say  thirty  or  forty  miles),  the  time  occupied  in  reaching  the 
loft  is  three  of  four  times  longer  than  was  expected;  but, 
take  it  there  next  day,  and  the  journey  will  be  done  quicker 
than  a  mile  a  minute.  Why  is  that?  Well,  the  birds  get 
confused;  some  object  which  it  may  have  seen  on  a  former 
journey,  may  possibly  stand  out  boldly;  and,  flying  at  once 
toward  this,  the  bird  may  find  itself  just  as  far  from  finding 
the  'lay  of  the  land.'  Thus  it  may  go  from  one  familiar 
point  to  another  before  'striking'  for  home.  That  is  the 
reason  why,  in  training  a  bird  for  a  match,  we  take  it  only 
in  the  direction  from  which  it  will  have  to  fly,  increase  the 
distance  gradually,  until  the  bird  is  familiar  with  the  path 
it  must  travel  and  recognises  each  landmark  as  soon  as  it 
comes  in  sight." 
ORDER  V.  In  this  order  (Gallina)  the  Grouse,  the  Ptar- 

Fowia.  migan,  the  Quail,  the  Peacock,  the  Pheasant,  the 
Jungle  Fowl,  the  Guinea  Fowl,  and  the  Wild  Turkey  are 
included;  as  well  as  our  Domestic  Fowls  to  the  forms  of  which 
they  more  or  less  closely  approximate.  The  Black  Grouse, 
and  the  Red  Grouse  are  found  throughout  Great  Britain ;  the 
Prairie  Grouse  in  North  America.  The  Ptarmigan  is  found  in 
Scotland  and  in  the  North  of  the  continent  of  Europe;  it 
changes  colour  with  the  seasons,  becoming  snow-white  in  winter. 
The  Quail  is  found  in  many  parts  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa ;  it 
•visits  England  in  the  early  summer  and  leaves  about  October 
for  Africa,  where  it  winters. 

The  The  Peacock  has  been  famous  in  the  East  from 

Peacock,     before  the   days   of  Solomon  and  the  Queen  of 


298  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Sheba,  and  has  been  much  affected  in  England  in  more 
recent  years,  on  account  of  its  beauty,  as  an  adornment  of 
English  lawns,  and  as  a  royal  dainty  upon  the  festive  board. 
It  may  be  said  still  to  keep  its  place  as  an  ornament  of  the 
park,  but  it  is  no  longer  the  choice  of  the  epicure  and  seldom 
appears  at  the  feast.  It  is  said  to  have  come  originally  from 
Persia  and  has  doubtless  reached  the  west  from  India  where 
it  still  abounds.  Colonel  Williamson  says  that  he  has  seen, 
in  the  passes  of  the  Jungletery  district,  as  many  as  twelve 
or  fifteen  hundred  pea-fowls  of  various  sizes  within  sight  of 
one  spot.  "  The  gorgeous  plumes  that  adorn  the  Peacock, " 
says  Mr.  Wood,  "  do  not  compose  the  tail,  as  many  suppose, 
but  are  only  the  tail-coverts.  The  tail  feathers  themselves  are 
short  and  rigid,  and  serve  to  keep  the  train  spread,  as  may 
be  seen  when  the  bird  walks  about  in  all  the  majesty  of  his 
expanded  plumage.  Although  pea-fowl  seek  their  food  on 
the  ground,  they  invariably  roost  on  some  elevated  situation, 
such  as  a  high  branch,  or  the  roof  of  a  barn  or  haystack." 
The  peacock  is  swift  of  foot,  but  heavy  on  the  wing,  and 
remains  ordinarily  on  the  ground,  where  it  finds  its  food.  It 
has  a  harsh  voice.  The  peahen  is  a  plain,  homely  looking 
bird,  lacking  the  gorgeous  tail  which  adorns  her  lord  and 
master.  Guillim,  an  old  writer  quoted  by  Captain  Brown,  says: 
"  The  Peacock  is  so  proud,  that  when  he  erecteth  his  fan  of 
plumes,  he  admireth  himself.  He  displayeth  his  plumes  against 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  that  they  may  glister  the  more  gloriously  : 
and  he  loseth  this  beautiful  train  yearly  with  the  fall  of  the 
leaf;  at  which  time  he  becometh  bashful,  and  seeketh  corners, 
where  he  may  be  secret  from  the  sight  of  men,  until  the  spring  of 
the  year,  when  his  train  beginneth  to  be  renewed.  And  such 
is  the  quality  of  many  dames,  who  being  painted  and  richly 
attired,  cannot  keep  within  doors;  but  being  undressed,  and 
in  their  own  hue,  they  are  loath  any  man  should  see  them." 
The  There  are  several  varieties  of  the  Pheasant,  of 

Pheasant,    which    the    Peacock    Pheasant   of  Burmah,    the 


THE    PHEASANT— THE  PARTRIDGE.  299 

Argus  Pheasant  of  Malacca,  the  Golden  Pheasant  of  China, 
and  the  Common  Pheasant  are  the  better  known  species. 
The  Common  Pheasant  is  a  native  of  the  British  Isles,  where 
it  is  cultivated  and  preserved.  Under  some  circumstances 
the  cock  pheasant  displays  considerable  pugnacity  and  a 
story  is  told  of  a  young  lady  who  when  walking  near  Stirl- 
ing was  attacked  by  one  which,  "  with  spurs  and  beak  began 
a  furious  assault.  Seeing  no  escape  from  the  enraged  bird, 
she  seized  her  adversary,  and  carried  him  home.  He  was, 
however,  soon  released,  and  when  the  door  was  opened,  he 
went  out  without  any  sign  of  fear,  and,  with  a  deliberate 
step,  paced  backwards  and  forwards  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  manifested  an  inclination  to  join  the  fowls  in  the  poultry 
yard.  The  only  way  to  account  for  this  assault  is,  that  the 
lady  wore  a  scarlet  mantle,  to  which  the  pheasant  may  have 
had  such  an  antipathy  as  the  turkey  cock  manifests  to  that 
colour;  an  antipathy  evinced  by  many  other  birds,  and 
various  quadrupeds;  and  the  cause  of  which  is  to  us  a 
mystery." 

The  The  partridge  is  an  interesting  bird  and  shows 

Partridge,  great  intelligence  in  the  care  of  its  young.  Mr. 
Jesse  mentions  an  instance  quoted  by  Mr.  Wood.  "A  gentle- 
man who  was  overlooking  his  ploughman,  saw  a  partridge  run 
from  her  nest,  almost  crushed  by  the  horses'  hoofs.  Being 
certain  that  the  next  furrow  must  bury  the  eggs  and  nest) 
he  watched  for  the  return  of  the  plough,  when  to  his  great 
astonishment,  the  nest,  previously  containing  twenty-one  eggs, 
was  vacant.  After  a  search,  he  found  the  bird  sitting  upon 
the  eggs  under  a  hedge,  nearly  forty  yards  from  the  nest, 
to  which  place  she  and  her  mate  had  removed  the  whole 
number  in  less  than  twenty  minutes."  Mr.  Markwick  relates, 
that  "  as  he  was  once  hunting  with  a  young  pointer,  the  dog 
ran  on  a  brood  of  very  small  partridges.  The  old  bird 
cried,  fluttered,  and  ran  trembling  along  just  before  the  dog's 
nose,  till  she  had  drawn  him  to  a  considerable  distance; 


300  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

when  she  took  wing  and  flew  farther  off,  but  not  out  of  the 
field.  On  this  the  dog  returned  nearly  to  the  place  where 
the  young  ones  lay  concealed  in  the  grass;  which  the  old 
bird  no  sooner  perceived,  than  she  flew  back  again,  settled 
just  before  the  dog's  nose,  and  a  second  time  acted  the 
same  part,  rolling  and  tumbling  about  till  she  drew  off  his 
attention  from  the  brood,  and  thus  succeeded  in  preserving 
them." 
The  "Wild  The  Wild  Turkey  was  at  one  time  common  in 

Turkey.  aQ  parts  of  America,  but  it  is  fast  diminishing, 
and  is  now  seldom  found  except  in  the  western  territories. 
It  is  often  larger  than  the  domestic  turkey;  it  is  gregarious 
and  feeds  on  grain,  seeds,  and  fruits.  It  is  the  original  stock 
of  the  domestic  turkey.  Mr.  Lucien  Bonaparte  has  given  a 
long  and  interesting  account  of  this  bird.  He  says  they 
sometimes  fly  across  broad  rivers,  ascending  the  tallest  trees 
on  one  side,  and  the  whole  flock  starting  together.  Some 
of  the  younger  and  weaker  birds  sometimes  fall  into  the 
water  and  either  paddle  to  the  shore  or  are  drowned. 
The  Domestic  The  Wild  Turkey  was  first  carried  to  Europe 

Turkey,  a^j  other  parts  of  the  eastern  continent  and 
domesticated  in  the  i6th  century.  It  is  now  extensively 
diffused  over  the  world,  and  its  flesh  is  ranked  among  the 
most  delicious  poultry.  The  cock  is  a  noisy  fellow,  strutting 
about,  and  displaying  his  plumage  with  great  ostentation ;  he 
is  also  very  quarrelsome.  The  hen  seems  to  possess  a  more 
modest  and  retiring  disposition,  wandering  about  the  fields 
with  a  melancholy  and  dejected  air,  occasionally  uttering  a 
short  plaintive  note.  She  is  exceedingly  attached  to  her 
young,  but  leads  them  away  from  danger  without  ever 
attempting  to  defend  them  by  repelling  an  attack. 
The  Sagacity  of  Of  the  sagacity  of  the  Turkey  Audubon 

the  Turkey.  says :  «  While  at  Henderson,  on  the  Ohio,  I 
had  a  fine  male  turkey,  which  had  been  reared  from  its 
earliest  youth  under  my  care.  It  became  so  tame  that  it 


THE  TURKEY.  301 

would  follow  any  person  who  called  it,  and  was  the  favourite 
of  the  little  village.  Yet  it  would  never  roost  with  the  tame 
turkeys;  but  regularly  betook  itself  at  night  to  the  roof  of 
the  house,  where  it  remained  till  dawn.  When  two  years 
old  it  began  to  fly  to  the  woods,  where  it  remained  for  a 
considerable  part  of  the  day,  and  returned  to  the  enclosure 
as  night  approached.  It  continued  this  practice  until  the 
following  spring,  when  I  saw  it  several  times  fly  from  its 
roosting-place  to  the  top  of  a  high  cotton-tree  on  the  bank 
of  the  Ohio,  from  which,  after  resting  a  little,  it  would  sail 
to  the  opposite  shore,  the  river  being  there  nearly  half  a 
mile  wide,  and  return  towards  night.  One  morning  I  saw  it 
fly  off,  at  a  very  early  hour,  to  the  woods  in  another  direction, 
and  took  no  particular  notice  of  the  circumstance.  Several 
days  elapsed,  but  the  bird  did  not  return.  I  was  going 
towards  some  lakes  near  Green  River,  to  shoot,  when,  having 
walked  about  five  miles,  I  saw  a  fine  large  gobbler  cross  the 
path  before  me,  moving  leisurely  along.  Turkeys  being  then 
in  prime  condition  for  the  table,  I  ordered  my  dog  to  chase 
it  and  put  it  up.  The  animal  went  off  with  great  rapidity, 
and  as  it  approached  the  turkey,  I  saw,  with  great  surprise, 
that  the  latter  paid  little  attention.  Juno  was  on  the  point 
of  seizing  it,  when  she  suddenly  stopped,  and  turned  her 
head  towards  me.  I  hastened  to  them;  but  you  may  easily 
conceive  my  surprise  when  I  saw  my  own  favourite  bird, 
and  discovered  that  it  had  recognised  the  dog,  and  would 
not  fly  from  it,  although  the  sight  of  a  strange  dog  would 
have  caused  it  to  run  off  at  once.  A  friend  of  mine,  being 
in  search  of  a  wounded  deer,  took  the  bird  on  his  saddle 
before  him,  and  carried  it  home  for  me.  The  following 
spring  it  was  accidentally  shot,  having  been  taken  for  a  wild 
bird,  and  brought  to  me,  on  being  recognised  by  the  red 
ribband  which  it  had  round  its  neck." 

sitting  The  male  Turkey  is  said  to  be  but  an  indifferent 

Turkey  docks,  father,    but  there  are  some  curious  illustrations 


302  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

on  record  of  his  displaying  maternal  instincts.  Captain  Brown 
tells  of  a  cock  Turkey  near  Abingdon  who  manifested  a 
desire  to  sit  and  was  allowed  to  experiment  with  thirteen  eggs, 
from  which  in  three  weeks  he  hatched  twelve  fine  chickens. 
A  precisely  similar  incident  occurred  many  years  ago  in 
Sweden,  according  to  the  same  authority. 
Domestic  The  Domestic  Fowls  are  too  well  known  to  need 
ow  '  description  here.  They  are  said  to  have  descended 
from  the  Java  species  and  have  long  been  the  subjects  of 
systematic  and  careful  culture.  John  Guillim  who  wrote  in  1677 
and  whose  quaint  description  of  the  peacock  we  have  already 
quoted,  says:  "As  some  account  the  eagle  the  queen,  and 
the  swallow  or  wagtail  the  lady,  so  may  I  term  this  (the  cock) 
the  knight  amongst  birds,  being  both  of  noble  courage,  and  also 
prepared  evermore  to  the  battel,  having  his  comb  for  an  helmet, 
his  sharp  and  hooked  bill  for  a  faulchion  or  court-lax,  to  slash 
and  wound  his  enemy :  and  as  a  compleat  soldier  armed  cap- 
a-pe,  he  hath  his  legs  armed  with  spurs,  giving  example  to 
the  valiant  soldier  to  expell  danger  by  fight,  and  not  by  flight. 
The  cock  croweth  when  he  is  victor  and  giveth  a  testimony 
of  his  conquest.  If  he  be  vanquished,  he  shunneth  the  light, 
and  society  of  men. "  The  cock  is  a  courageous  bird  and  in 
fighting  with  his  own  kind  or  in  the  defence  of  his  family  will 
show  great  gallantry  and  endurance.  Buffon  thus  describes 
an  encounter  of  which  he  was  an  observer.  He  says:  "I  have 
just  witnessed  a  curious  scene.  A  sparrow  hawk  alighted 
in  a  populous  court -yard ;  when  a  young  cock,  of  this  year's 
hatching,  instantly  darted  at  him,  and  threw  him  on  his  back. 
In  this  situation,  the  hawk  defending  himself  with  his  talons 
and  his  bill,  intimidated  the  hens  and  turkeys,  which  streamed 
tumultuously  around  him.  After  having  a  little  recovered 
himself,  he  rose  and  was  taking  wing ;  when  the  cock  rushed 
upon  him  a  second  time,  upset  him,  and  held  him  down  so 
long,  that  he  was  easily  caught  by  a  person  who  witnessed 
the  conflict. "  The  cock  is  said  to  show  many  of  the  quali- 


DOMESTIC  FOWLS.  303 

ties  which  belong  to  knighthood.  He  is  jealous,  and  has  been 
known  to  kill  a  hen  which  has  hatched  a  foreign  brood ;  and 
he  is  chivalrous  both  in  the  treatment  of  his  hens  and  in 
their  defence  against  their  enemies.  He  has  a  sense  of  justice 
too,  which  he  does  not  hesitate  to  assert  on  occasion.  Mrs. 
Bowdich  says :  "  On  one  occasion  I  saw  a  cock  pursue  a 
hen  round  the  poultry-yard ;  and,  as  she  had  a  worm  in  her 
bill,  I  at  first  thought  he  was  so  acting  from  a  greedy  desire 
to  have  the  delicious  morsel;  but  when  he  at  last  caught 
her,  he  gave  her  a  knock  on  the  head  with  his  beak,  and, 
taking  up  the  worm  which  she  had  dropped,  brought  it  to 
another  hen,  who  stood  witnessing  the  affray  in  mute  expec- 
tation. A  further  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  these  birds  has 
made  me  feel  sure  she  had  purloined  the  worm  from  the 
other,  and  the  cock  had  restored  it  to  its  rightful  owner. " 
Though  natural  fighters,  cocks  sometimes  form  friendships 
for  each  other,  and  Captain  Brown  records  an  instance  of 
two  game  cocks,  belonging  to  the  same  owner,  who  obsti- 
nately declined  combat  though  all  means  were  tried  to  excite 
mutual  animosity.  These  same  birds  when  placed  in  the  ring 
with  other  cocks  fought  furiously,  and  in  both  cases  destroyed 
their  antagonists. 

The  Common  The  hen  gathering  her  chickens  under  her  wings 
Hen-  is  a  favourite  type  of  motherhood,  and  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  in  many  ways  the  hen  shows  herself  a  model 
parent.  The  care  she  will  expend  upon  her  brood,  or  upon 
a  brood  of  ducks  which  she  may  have  hatched,  is  well  known, 
and  the  courage  she  will  show  in  their  defence  is  well  attested. 
The  following  from  the  "Percy  Anecdotes"  is  an  illustration 
of  this:  "In  June,  1820,  a  contest  of  rather  an  unusual 
nature  took  place  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Collins,  at  Naul  in 
Ireland.  The  parties  concerned  were,  a  hen  of  the  game 
species,  and  a  rat  of  the  middle  size.  The  hen,  in  an  acci- 
dental perambulation  round  a  spacious  room,  accompanied 
by  an  only  chicken,  the  sole  surviving  offspring  of  a  numerous 


304  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

brood,  was  roused  to  madness  by  an  unprovoked  attack  made 
by  a  voracious  rat,  on  her  unsuspecting  companion.  The 
shrieks  of  the  beloved  captive,  while  dragged  away  by  the 
enemy,  excited  every  maternal  feeling  in  the  affectionate  bosom 
of  the  feathered  dame :  she  flew  at  the  corner  whence  the 
alarm  arose,  seized  the  lurking  enemy  by  the  neck,  writhed 
him  about  the  room,  put  out  one  of  his  eyes  in  the  engage- 
ment, and  so  fatigued  her  opponent  by  repeated  attacks  of 
spur  and  bill,  that  in  the  space  of  twelve  minutes,  during 
which  time  the  conflict  lasted,  she  put  a  final  period  to  the 
invader's  existence ;  nimbly  turned  round,  in  wild  but  triumph- 
ant distraction,  to  her  palpitating  nestling,  and  hugged  it 
in  her  victorious  bosom."  In  this  same  work  there  is  a  story 
of  a  hen,  near  Exeter,  which  devoted  itself  with  much  assiduity 
and  success  to  catching  mice.  Hens  often  take  to  other 
animals  and  have  been  known  to  show  great  attachment  to 
kittens,  and  to  dogs,  instances  being  recorded  of  hens  living 
in  dogs'  kennels  and  laying  their  eggs  there  under  canine 
protection.  The  concern  shown  by  hens,  when  the  ducks 
they  may  have  hatched  take  to  the  water,  is  very  amusing. 
Captain  Brown  gives  an  instance  of  a  hen  which  had 
become  used  to  this  phenomena,  from  having  been  employed 
in  hatching  successive  broods  of  ducks,  and  which  showed 
equal  concern  when  a  brood  of  her  own  chickens  avoided 
the  watery  element 

ORDER  VI.      The  Hoazin  is  the  only  bird  of  this  order. 
The  Hoazin.     It  belongs  to  Brazil  and  Guiana  and  is  nearly 
as  large  as  the  peacock.     It  has  been  variously  classified  but, 
differing  in  important  characteristics  from  any  other  bird,  it 
is  deemed  best  to  place  it  in  an  order  by  itself. 
ORDER  VII.      This   order  includes  the  Vultures,  Condors, 
Birds  of  Prey.    Eagles,    Kites,    Falcons,    Goshawks,   Sparrow- 
hawks,  Buzzards,  Kestrals,  Owls,  &c.,  &c.     Interesting  as  many 
of  these  birds  are   the  briefest  possible  mention  is  all  that 
we  can  give  of  some  of  them. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY.  305 

The  Eagle.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  claims  of  other 
birds,  the  Eagle  is  traditionally  the  king  of  the  air,  as  the 
lion  is  king  of  the  forest.  There  are  a  large  number  of 
species  of  which  the  Golden  Eagle,  the  Spotted  Eagle,  the 
Imperial  Eagle  and  the  White-headed  Sea  Eagle  are  among 
the  best  known  varieties.  The  Golden  Eagle  belongs  to 
Europe  and  America,  and  is  sometimes  found  in  Scotland 
and  Ireland.  It  lives  upon  smaller  birds  and  animals :  hares, 
young  lambs  and  deer,  grouse,  plovers,  &c.,  &c.  Though  the 
eagle  has  often  attacked  children  the  stories  of  its  carrying 
them  away  are  generally  discredited.  Eagles  often  hunt  in 
pairs  and  show  great  ferocity  and  determination  in  attacking 
their  prey. 

Eagle  Mr.  St.  John  gives  the  following  description  of 

Shooting.  a  shooting  expedition  in  which  he  bagged  a 
pair  of  splendid  birds.  "On  a  very  dark  morning  I  sallied 
out  with  Malcolm  to  take  a  shot  at  the  eagles,  and  at  last 
I  was  ensconced  in  a  hiding-place  (near  the  dead  body  of  a 
sheep)  which  gave  me  hardly  room  to  stand,  sit,  or  lie.  It 
was  scarcely  grey  dawn  when  a  bird  with  a  slow,  flapping 
flight  passed,  and  alighted  out  of  sight,  but  near,  for  I 
heard  him  strike  the  ground,  and  my  heart  beat  faster. 
What  was  my  disappointment,  when  his  low,  crowing  croak 
announced  a  raven;  he  hopped  and  walked  suspiciously 
round  the  sheep,  till,  supposing  the  coast  clear,  he  hopped 
upon  the  carcase,  and  began  with  his  cut  and  thrust  beak 
to  dig  at  the  meat.  Another  raven  soon  joined  him,  and 
then  two  more,  who,  after  a  kind  of  parley,  were  admitted 
to  their  share  of  the  banquet.  They  suddenly  set  up  a 
croak  of  alarm,  stopped  feeding,  and  all  turned  their  knowing 
eyes  in  one  direction.  At  that  moment  I  heard  a  sharp 
scream,  but  very  distant.  The  black  party  heard  it  too, 
and  instantly  darted  off,  alighting  again  at  a  little  distance. 
Next  came  a  rushing  noise,  and  the  monarch  of  the  clouds 
lighted  at  once  on  the  sheep.  He  quietly  folded  up  his 

20 


306  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

wings,  and,  throwing  back  his  magnificent  head,  looked 
round  at  the  ravens,  as  if  wondering  at  their  impudence  in 
approaching  his  breakfast;  they  kept  a  respectful  silence, 
and  hopped  further  away.  The  royal  bird  then  turned  his 
head  in  my  direction,  his  bright  eye  that  instant  catching 
mine,  as  it  glanced  along  the  barrel  of  my  gun.  He  rose,  I 
drew  the  trigger,  and  he  fell  quite  dead  six  yards  from  the 
sheep.  As  one  eagle  is  always  followed  by  a  second,  I 
remained  quiet,  in  hopes  that  his  mate  was  not  within 
hearing  of  my  shot.  I  had  not  waited  many  minutes  when 
I  saw  the  other  eagle  skimming  low  over  the  brow  of  the 
hill  towards  me.  She  did  not  alight  at  once,  but  her  eye 
catching  the  dead  body  of  her  mate,  she  wheeled  up  into 
the  air.  I  thought  she  was  lost  to  me,  when  presently  I 
heard  her  wings  brush  close  over  my  head,  and  she  wheeled 
round  and  round  the  dead  bird,  turning  her  head  downwards 
to  make  out  what  had  happened.  At  times  she  stooped  so 
low  that  I  could  see  the  sparkle  of  her  eye,  and  hear  her 
low,  complaining  cry.  I  watched  the  time  when  she  turned 
up  her  wing  towards  me,  and  dropped  her  actually  on  the 
body  of  the  other.  She  rose  to  her  feet,  and  stood  gazing 
at  me  with  a  reproachful  look,  and  would  have  done  battle, 
but  death  was  busy  with  her,  and  as  I  was  loading  in  haste 
she  reeled,  and  fell  perfectly  dead." 

The  The  white-headed  or  bald  eagle,  is  a  native  of 

White-Headed  North  America,  and  feeds  equally  on  the  produce 
ag  e*  of  the  sea  and  of  the  land,  but  is  particularly  fond 
of  fish.  "  In  procuring  these, "  says  Wilson,  "he  displays  in  a  very 
singular  manner  the  genius  and  energy  of  his  character,  which 
is  fierce,  contemplative,  daring  and  tyrannical,  attributes  not 
exerted  but  on  particular  occasions,  but  when  put  forth  overwhelm- 
ing all  opposition."  "  Elevated,"  says  Wilson,  in  his  "  American 
Ornithology,"  "on  the  high  dead  limb  of  some  gigantic  tree, 
that  commands  a  high  view  of  the  neighbouring  shore  and 
ocean,  he  seems  calmly  to  contemplate  the  motions  of  the 


THE  EAGLE.  307 

various  feathered  tribes  that  pursue  their  busy  avocations 
below;  the  snow-white  gulls,  slowly  winnowing  the  air;  the 
busy  tringse,  coursing  along  the  sands;  trains  of  ducks  stream- 
ing over  the  surface;  silent  and  watchful  cranes,  intent  and 
wading;  clamorous  crows;  and  all  the  winged  multitude  that 
subsist  by  the  bounty  of  this  vast  liquid  magazine  of  nature. 
High  over  all  these  hovers  one,  whose  action  instantly  arrests 
all  attention.  By  his  wide  curvature  of  wing,  and  sudden 
suspension  in  the  air,  he  knows  him  to  be  the  fish-hawk, 
settling  over  some  devoted  victim  of  the  deep.  His  eye 
kindles  at  the  sight,  and  balancing  himself  with  half-opened 
wings  on  the  branch,  he  watches  the  result.  Down,  rapid 
as  an  arrow  from  heaven,  descends  the  distant  object  of  his 
attention,  the  roar  of  its  wings  reaching  the  ear  as  it  dis- 
appears in  the  deep,  making  the  surges  foam  around!  At 
this  moment  the  looks  of  the  eagle  are  all  ardour ;  and  level- 
ling his  neck  for  flight,  he  sees  the  fish-hawk  once  more  emerge, 
struggling  with  his  prey,  and  mounting  into  the  air  with 
screams  of  exultation.  This  is  the  signal  for  the  eagle,  who, 
launching  in  the  air,  instantly  gives  chase,  and  soon  gains  on 
the  fish-hawk;  each  exerts  his  utmost  power  to  mount  above 
the  other,  displaying  in  these  rencontres  the  most  elegant 
and  sublime  aerial  evolutions.  The  unencumbered  eagle 
rapidly  advances,  and  is  just  on  the  point  of  reaching  his 
opponent,  when  with  a  sudden  scream,  probably  of  despair 
and  honest  execration,  the  latter  drops  his  fish;  the  eagle 
poising  himself  for  a  moment,  as  if  to  take  a  more  certain 
aim,  descends  like  a  whirlwind,  snatches  it  in  his  grasp  ere 
it  reaches  the  water,  and  bears  his  ill-gotten  booty  silently 
away  into  the  woods." 

The  Vulture.  The  Vultures  have  been  sometimes  called  the 
Hysenas  of  the  feathered  world,  and  judged  by  their  habits, 
they  certainly  justify  the  term.  As  scavengers  they  serve 
a  useful  purpose  in  Eastern  lands  and  deserve  the  protec- 
tion they  are  said  to  receive  from  the  natives.  The  Griffin 


308  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Vulture  of  Europe,  Turkey,  Persia  and  Africa,  the  Egyptian 
Vulture  of  the  Nile  country,  and  the  Condor,  or  American 
Vulture,  are  the  best  known  varieties. 

The  Condor.  The  American  Condor  is  the  largest  of  the 
birds  of  prey,  and  is  said  to  partake  of  the  ferocity  of  the 
Eagle  and  the  filthiness  of  the  Vulture.  "  Two  of  these  birds, 
acting  in  concert,"  says  an  American  writer,  "will  frequently 
attack  a  puma,  a  llama,  a  calf,  or  even  a  full-grown  cow. 
They  will  pursue  the  poor  animal  with  unwearied  pertinacity, 
lacerating  it  incessantly  with  their  beaks  and  talons,  until  it 
falls  exhausted  with  fatigue  and  loss  of  blood.  Then,  having 
first  seized  upon  its  tongue,  they  proceed  to  tear  out  its  eyes, 
and  commence  their  feast  with  these  favourite  morsels.  The 
intestines  form  the  second  course  of  their  banquet,  which  is 
usually  continued  until  the  birds  have  gorged  themselves  so 
fully  as  to  render  themselves  incapable  of  using  their  wings 
in  flight."  This  bird  is  said  to  measure  from  three  and  a 
half  to  four  feet  from  head  to  tail. 

The  King  of  This  bird  which  is  the  handsomest  of  its  tribe 
the  Vultures.  js  called  the  King  of  the  vultures,  because  of  the 
royal  honours  it  receives  from  common  vultures.  Mr.  Byam 
says  in  his  "Central  America,"  "One  day,  having  lost  a  mule 
by  death,  he  was  dragged  up  to  a  small  hill,  not  far  off, 
where  I  knew,  in  an  hour  or  two,  he  would  be  safely  buried 
in  vulture-sepulture.  I  was  standing  on  a  hillock,  about  a 
hundred  yards  off,  with  a  gun  in  my  hand,  watching  the 
surprising  distance  that  a  vulture  descries  his  prey  from,  and 
the  gathering  of  so  many  from  all  parts,  up  and  down  wind, 
where  none  had  been  seen  before,  and  that  in  a  very  short 
space  of  time.  Hearing  a  loud,  whirring  noise  over  my  head, 
I  looked  up,  and  saw  a  fine  large  bird,  with  outstretched 
and  seemingly  motionless  wings,  sailing  towards  the  carcase 
that  had  already  been  partially  demolished.  I  would  not  fire 
at  the  bird ;  for  I  had  a  presentiment  that  it  was  his  majesty 
of  the  vultures;  but  beckoned  to  an  Indian  to  come  up  the 


THE  VULTURE.  309 

hill— and,  showing  him  the  bird  that  had  just  alighted,  he 
said,  'the  King  of  the  vultures;  you  will  see  how  he  is 
adored.'  Directly  the  fine-looking  bird  approached  the  car- 
case, the  oi  polloi  of  the  vultures  retired  to  a  short  distance; 
some  flew  off,  and  perched  on  some  contiguous  branch ; 
while  by  far  the  greatest  number  remained,  acting  the  courtier, 
by  forming  a  most  respectful  and  well-kept  ring  around  him. 
His  majesty,  without  any  signs  of  acknowledgment  for  such 
great  civility,  proceeded  to  make  a  most  gluttonous  meal; 
but,  during  the  whole  time  he  was  employed,  not  a  single 
envious  bird  attempted  to  intrude  upon  him  at  his  repast, 
until  he  had  finished,  and  taken  his  departure  with  a  heavier 
wing  and  slower  flight  than  on  his  arrival;  but  when  he  had 
taken  his  perch  on  a  high  tree,  not  far  off,  his  dirty,  ravenous 
subjects,  increased  in  number  during  his  repast,  ventured  to 
discuss  the  somewhat  diminished  carcase;  for  the  royal  appe- 
tite was  certainly  very  fine.  I  have  since  beheld  the  above 
scene  acted  many  times,  but  always  with  great  interest." 
A  Feast  of  Wilson  gives  the  following  account  of  the  Black 
Vultures.  Vulture  of  America.  "February  21  st,  1809.  Went 
out  to  Hampstead  this  forenoon.  A  horse  had  dropped 
down  in  the  street,  in  convulsions ;  and  dying,  it  was  dragged 
out  to  Hampstead,  and  skinned.  I  ventured  cautiously  within 
thirty  yards  of  the  carcase,  where  three  or  four  dogs,  and 
twenty  or  thirty  vultures,  were  busily  tearing  and  devouring. 
Seeing  them  take  no  notice,  I  ventured  nearer,  till  I  was 
within  ten  yards,  and  sat  down  on  the  bank.  Still  they  paid 
little  attention  to  me.  The  dogs  being  sometimes  accidentally 
flapped  with  the  wings  of  the  vultures,  would  growl  and  snap 
at  them,  which  would  occasion  them  to  spring  up  for  a 
moment,  but  they  immediately  gathered  in  again.  I  remarked 
the  vultures  frequently  attack  each  other,  fighting  with  their 
claws  or  heels,  striking  like  a  cock,  with  open  wings,  and 
fixing  their  claws  in  each  other's  heads.  The  females,  and 
I  believe  the  males  likewise,  made  a  hissing  sound  with  open 


310  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

mouth,  exactly  resembling  that  produced  by  thrusting  a  red 
hot  poker  into  water;  and  frequently  a  snuffing  like  a  dog 
clearing  his  nostrils,  as  I  suppose  they  were  theirs.  On 
observing  that  they  did  not  heed  me,  I  stole  so  close  that 
my  feet  were  within  one  yard  of  the  horse's  legs,  and  I 
again  sat  down.  They  all  slid  aloof  a  few  feet;  but  seeing 
me  quiet,  they  soon  returned  as  before.  As  they  were  often 
disturbed  by  the  dogs,  I  ordered  the  latter  home:  my  voice 
gave  no  alarm  to  the  vultures.  As  soon  as  the  dogs  departed, 
the  vultures  crowded  in  such  numbers,  that  I  counted  at  one 
time  thirty-seven  on  and  around  the  carcase,  with  several 
within;  so  that  scarcely  an  inch  of  it  was  visible.  Sometimes 
one  would  come  out  with  a  large  piece  of  the  entrails,  which 
in  a  moment  was  surrounded  by  several  others,  who  tore  it 
in  fragments,  and  it  soon  disappeared,.  They  kept  up  the 
hissing  occasionally.  Some  of  them  having  their  whole  legs 
and  heads  covered  with  blood,  presented  a  most  savage 
aspect.  Sometimes  I  observed  them  stretching  their  neck 
along  the  ground,  as  if  to  press  the  food  downwards." 
The  Secretary  The  Secretary  Bird,  so  called  from  the  possession 
Bird.  of  feathers  thought  to  resemble  pens  behind  the 
ear,  feeds  on  snakes  and  other  reptiles.  Le  Vaillant,  who 
in  dissecting  one  of  these  birds,  found  in  his  crop  eleven 
large  lizards,  three  serpents  each  a  yard  in  length,  eleven 
small  tortoises  and  a  great  quantity  of  locusts  and  other 
insects,  once  witnessed  a  contest  thus  referred  in  the  "  Percy 
Anecdotes" : 

"  When  the  secretary  approaches  a  serpent,  it  always  carries 
the  point  of  one  of  its  wings  forward,  in  order  to  parry  off 
its  venomous  bites;  sometimes  it  finds  an  opportunity  of 
spurning  and  treading  upon  its  antagonist ;  or  else,  of  taking 
him  upon  its  pinions,  and  throwing  him  into  the  air.  When 
by  this  system  it  has,  at  length,  wearied  out  its  adversary, 
and  rendered  him  almost  senseless,  it  kills  and  swallows  him 
at  leisure.  On  the  occasion  which  Vaillant  mentions,  the 


THE  FALCON.  311 

battle  was  obstinate,  and  conducted  with  equal  address  on 
both  sides.  The  serpent,  feeling  at  last  his  inferiority, 
endeavoured  to  regain  his  hole;  while  the  bird  apparently 
guessing  his  design,  stopped  him  on  a  sudden,  and  cut  off 
his  retreat  by  placing  herself  before  him  at  a  single  leap. 
On  whatever  side  the  reptile  endeavoured  to  make  his  escape, 
the  enemy  still  appeared  before  him.  Rendered  desperate,  the 
serpent  resolved  on  a  last  effort.  He  erected  himself  boldly 
to  intimidate  the  bird,  and  hissing  dreadfully,  displayed  his 
menacing  throat,  inflamed  eyes,  and  a  head  swollen  with  rage 
and  venom.  The  bird  seemed  intimidated  for  a  moment, 
but  soon  returned  to  the  charge ;  and  covering  her  body  with 
one  of  her  wings  as  a  buckler,  struck  her  enemy  with  the 
bony  protuberance  of  the  other.  M.  Vaillant  saw  the  serpent 
at  last  stagger  and  fall;  the  conqueror  then  fell  upon  him 
to  despatch  him,  and  with  one  stroke  of  her  beak  laid  open 
his  skull." 

The  Kite.  The  Kite  is  common  in  Europe  and  is  some- 
The  Osprey.  times  seen  in  Scotland.  It  is  a  bird  of  the  Hawk 
The  Buzzard.  kind  and  may  easily  be  distinguished  from  other 

birds  of  prey  by  its  forked  tail  and  the  slow  and  circular 
eddies  it  describes  in  the  air  whenever  it  spies  its  prey. 
It  measures  about  two  feet  in  length.  The  Osprey  is  common 
in  Europe  and  America.  It  feeds  principally  upon  fish,  in 
pursuit  of  which  it  frequents  the  sea  coast  and  the  borders 
of  lakes  and  rivers.  It  is  about  two  feet  in  length.  The 
common  Buzzard  is  rather  smaller,  measuring  twenty  or  twenty- 
two  inches.  It  nests  on  high  trees  and  watches  on  overhanging 
branches  for  any  prey  that  may  pass  beneath.  The  Marsh 
Harrier  which  measures  twenty-one  to  twenty-three  inches 
is  a  formidable  foe  to  moles  and  mice,  rabbits  and  reptiles. 
The  Falcon.  The  Peregrine  Falcon  so  famous  in  the  days 
of  Falconry  is  a  fearless  bird  and  does  not  hesitate  to  attack 
those  of  much  larger  size.  For  this  reason  it  was  often 
employed  in  hunting  the  Heron.  "In  this  contest,"  says 


312  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

Mr.  Wood,  "the  Falcon  was  almost  always  victorious,  and 
after  it  had  attained  a  sufficient  altitude,  it  swept,  or  '  stooped', 
as  the  phrase  was,  upon  the  Heron.  When  the  Falcon  had 
closed  with  its  prey,  they  both  came  to  the  ground  together. 
Sometimes,  however,  the  wary  Heron  contrived  to  receive 
its  enemy  on  the  point  of  its  sharp  beak,  and  transfixed 
it  by  its  own  impetus."  This  bird  is  from  fifteen  to  eighteen 
inches  in  length.  Mr.  Selby  in  his  "  Ornithology"  says,  "In 
daring  disposition,  this  bird  equals  most  of  its  congeners.  I 
may  be  allowed  to  add  the  following  instance,  as  having 
happened  under  my  own  observation,  and  as  exemplifying 
not  only  its  determined  perseverance  in  pursuit  of  its  prey, 
when  under  the  pressure  of  hunger,  but  as  arguing  also  an 
unexpected  degree  of  foresight : — In  exercising  my  dogs  upon 
the  moors,  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  shooting- 
season,  I  observed  a  large  bird  of  the  hawk  genus,  hovering 
at  a  distance,  which,  upon  approaching,  I  knew  to  be  a 
Peregrine  Falcon.  Its  attention  was  now  drawn  towards  the 
dogs,  and  it  accompanied  them,  whilst  they  beat  the  surrounding 
ground.  Upon  their  having  found,  and  sprung  a  brood  of 
grouse,  the  falcon  immediately  gave  chase,  and  struck  a 
young  bird,  before  they  had  proceeded  far  upon  wing.  My 
shouts  and  rapid  advance,  prevented  it  from  securing  its 
prey.  The  issue  of  this  attempt,  however,  did  not  deter  the 
falcon  from  watching  our  subsequent  movements,  and  another 
opportunity  soon  offering,  it  again  gave  chase,  and  struck 
down  two  birds,  by  two  rapidly  repeated  blows,  one  of 
which  it  secured,  and  bore  off  in  triumph." 

rpjjQ  The  Sparrow-hawk  which  measures  from  twelve 

Sparrow     to    fifteen    inches    long    is    a   terror  to    smaller 

Hawk.      birds,  showing  great  pertinacity  in  their  pursuit. 

Mr.   St.  John   says   that   one   pursued   a  pigeon  through  his 

"drawing-room    window,    and   out  at   the   other   end  of  the 

house    through    another    window,    and    never    slackened    its 

pursuit,  notwithstanding  the  clattering  of  the  broken  glass  of 


THE  SPARROW-HAWK— THE  OWL.  313 

the  two  windows  as  they  passed  through,"  and  that  on 
another  occasion  he  found  "a  sparrow  hawk  deliberately 
standing  on  a  very  large  pouter  pigeon  on  the  drawing-room 
floor,  and  plucking  it,  having  entered  in  pursuit  of  the 
unfortunate  bird  through  an  open  window,  and  killed  him 
in  the  room."  White  says,  in  his  "Natural  History  of 
Selborne,"  "About  the  tenth  of  July,  a  pair  of  sparrow-hawks 
bred  in  an  old  crow's  nest  on  a  low  beech  in  Selborne- 
hanger;  and  as  their  brood,  which  was  numerous,  began  to 
grow  up,  they  became  so  daring  and  ravenous,  that  they 
were  a  terror  to  all  the  dames  in  the  village  that  had  chickens 
or  ducklings  under  their  care.  A  boy  climbed  the  tree,  and 
found  the  young  so  fledged  that  they  all  escaped  from  him ; 
but  discovered  that  a  good  house  had  been  kept;  the  larder 
was  well  stored  with  provisions;  for  he  brought  down  a 
young  blackbird,  jay,  and  house  martin,  all  clean  picked,  and 
some  half  devoured.  The  old  birds  had  been  observed  to 
make  sad  havoc  for  some  days  among  the  new  flown  swallows 
and  martins,  which,  being  but  lately  out  of  their  nests,  had 
not  acquired  those  powers  and  command  of  wing  that  enable 
them  when  more  mature  to  set  enemies  at  defiance." 

The  OwL  Great  interest  attaches  to  the  owl  from  the  sin- 
gularity of  its  appearance  and  habits.  There  are  many 
varieties,  the  Common  Barn  Owl;  the  Long-eared  Owl;  the 
Great  Eagle  Owl;  and  the  American  Horned  Owl  being  some 
of  these.  The  Barn  Owl  measures  about  twelve  inches  in 
length.  This  bird  does  great  service  in  the  destruction  of 
mice,  rats,  and  other  vermin,  and  it  is  the  nemesis  of  fate 
that  it  is  destroyed  by  those  it  serves.  Its  movements  are 
noiseless,  the  peculiar  form  of  the  feathers  of  its  wings  enabling 
it  to  fly  without  making  any  sound,  and  so  surprise  its  prey. 
"Its  method  of  devouring  a  mouse,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "is  quite 
different  from  the  mode  in  which  it  eats  a  bird.  If  a  mouse 
is  given  to  an  owl,  the  bird  seizes  it  across  the  back,  and 
gives  it  one  or  two  smart  bites,  much  as  a  terrier  handles  a 


314  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

rat.  The  mouse  is  then  jerked  upwards,  and  caught  again 
head  downwards.  A  second  jerk  sends  the  mouse  half  down 
the  owl's  throat,  while  its  tail  remains  sticking  out  of  the 
side  of  its  bill,  where  it  is  rolled  about  as  if  the  owl  were 
smoking.  After  some  time  has  been  spent  in  this  amusement, 
another  jerk  causes  the  mouse  to  disappear  altogether,  and 
the  owl  looks  very  happy  and  contented.  But  if  a  small 
bird  is  presented  to  it,  the  owl  tears  it  up  and  devours  it 
piecemeal."  The  great  Eagle  Owl  which  measures  two  feet 
and  upwards  will  attack  hares,  rabbits,  and  young  fawns. 
ORDER  VIII.  The  order  of  wading  birds  includes  many 

"Wading  Birds,  that  we  can  do  no  more  than  mention : — the 
Moor  Hen;  the  Woodcock;  the  Snipe;  the  Water  pheasant; 
the  Plover;  the  Lapwing;  the  Crane;  the  Heron;  the  Stork; 
and  the  Flamingo  are  the  more  familiar  birds  of  the  order, 
which  however  includes  the  Crakes ;  the  Coots ;  the  Curlews ; 
the  Bustards;  the  Sandpipers,  and  others. 

The  Cranes.  The  Cranes  belong  to  Africa  and  Southern  Asia, 
but  migrate  from  clime  to  clime  as  the  seasons  change.  The 
flight  of  the  Cranes,  like  that  of  some  other  birds,  is  a  compact 
and  well  ordered  progression.  They  fly  high  and  commonly 
at  night,  apparently  under  the  direction  of  a  leader  whose 
course  they  follow  and  whose  calls  they  obey.  There  are 
several  varieties,  the  Common  Crane,  the  Numidian  Crane, 
and  the  Balearic  Crane  being  the  better  known  of  these. 

The  Heron.  The  Heron  is  an  expert  fisherman  and  has 
all  the  accessary  patience  for  the  pursuit  of  his  sport.  He 
will  stand  motionless  for  hours  at  the  water  side,  waiting  his 
opportunity,  and  then  dart  with  unerring  aim  at  the  unsuspect- 
ing fish  and  secure  his  meal.  The  bill  of  the  heron  is  a 
powerful  weapon,  and  as  we  remarked  when  dealing  with  the 
falcons,  formerly  used  in  hunting  the  heron,  it  will  sometimes 
transfix  the  Falcon  by  throwing  its  head  back  and  receiving 
its  enemy  on  the  point.  Captain  Brown  gives  an  illustration 
which  shows  that  the  Heron's  bill  may  be  as  effective  in 


WADING  BIRDS.  315 

other  cases.  "A  gentleman  being  on  a  shooting  excursion, 
accompanied  by  a  small  spaniel,  observed  a  heron  wading 
a  little  above  a  waterfall.  He  fired —wounded  it — and  sent 
his  dog  into  the  stream  to  bring  it  to  land.  As  soon  as  the 
dog  had  come  within  its  reach,  the  heron  drew  back  its 
head,  and  with  all  its  force,  struck  him  in  the  ribs  with  its 
bill.  The  gentleman  again  fired,  and  killed  the  heron;  but 
it  had  well  revenged  itself:  both  dog  and  heron  floated  dead 
together,  down  the  foaming  waterfall."  The  Heron  nests  on 
the  tops  of  high  trees  and  lives  in  companies. 
The  Bittern.  The  Bittern  is  remarkable  for  its  loud  booming 
cry  which  has  some  resemblance  to  the  bellowing  of  a  bull, 
and  for  its  spiral  flight  which  it  pursues  to  a  great  altitude 
The  stork.  Storks  are  found  in  different  parts  of  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa.  In  Holland,  and  in  some  other  countries, 
they  live  in  a  state  of  semi-domestication,  encouraged  by  the 
people,  and  building  nests  upon  the  roofs  of  their  houses. 
They  feed  on  rats,  mice,  frogs,  and  other  vermin,  and 
render  the  Hollander  good  service  by  keeping  down  the 
numbers  of  such  pests.  In  the  East  they  act  as  scavengers, 
and  for  this  reason  are  as  much  encouraged  by  the  people. 
"A  recent  visitor  to  Constantinople,"  says  Mr.  Wood,  "remarks 
that  the  very  Storks  seemed  to  have  become  Ottoman,  for 
they  sat  on  the  tops  of  the  houses,  looking  staid  and  solemn, 
as  becomes  the  Oriental  character,  and  managed  their  beaks 
just  as  if  they  were  pipes.  It  is  true  that  they  wore  no 
turbans,  but  each  of  them  appeared  to  have  left  a  turban  of 
preposterous  dimensions,  viz.,  his  nest,  on  the  roof  of  a  house 
close  by."  The  Stork  is  easily  tamed  and  sometimes  shows 
considerable  intelligence. 

The  Jealousy  The  following  illustration  which  we  take  from 
of  the  Stork,  the  "  Percy  Anecdotes"  shows  that  the  Stork  shares 
with  other  birds  the  feeling  of  jealousy.  "  In  Smyrna  there 
are  a  great  number  of  storks,  who  build  their  nests  and  hatch 
their  young  very  regularly.  The  inhabitants,  in  order  to  divert 


3l6  NATUIiAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

themselves  at  the  expense  of  these  birds,  and  gratify  a  cruel 
disposition,  sometimes  convey  hens'  eggs  into  the  stork's 
nest;  and  when  the  young  are  hatched,  the  cock  on  seeing 
them  of  a  different  form  from  his  own  species,  makes  a 
hideous  noise,  which  brings  a  crowd  of  other  storks  about  the 
nest,  who  to  revenge  the  disgrace  which  they  imagine  the 
hen  has  brought  upon  her  race,  immediately  peck  her  to 
death.  The  cock  in  the  meantime  makes  the  heaviest  lamen- 
tation, as  if  bewailing  his  misfortune,  which  obliged  him  to 
have  recourse  to  such  extreme  punishment." 
A  Stork's  From  the  same  work  we  quote  the  following, 
Bevenge.  which  shows  that  though  ordinarily  placid  and 
placable  the  stork  can  cherish  the  feeling  of  revenge.  "A 
wild  stork  was  brought  by  a  farmer  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Hamburgh,  into  his  poultry  yard,  to  be  the  companion  of  a 
tame  one,  which  he  had  long  kept  there ;  but  the  tame  stork 
disliking  a  rival,  fell  upon  the  poor  stranger,  and  beat  him 
so  unmercifully  that  he  was  compelled  to  take  wing,  and  with 
some  difficulty  escaped.  About  four  months  afterwards,  how- 
ever, he  returned  to  the  poultry  yard,  recovered  of  his  wounds, 
and  attended  by  three  other  storks,  who  no  sooner  alighted, 
than  they  all  together  fell  upon  the  tame  stork,  and  killed  it." 
ORDER  IX.  This  order  includes  the  Goose,  the  Duck, 
The  Geese,  the  Swan,  the  Teal,  the  Gull,  the  Petrel,  the 
Albatross,  the  Cormorant,  the  Pelican,  the  Penguin,  the 
Grebe,  the  Great  Auk,  the  Puffin  and  other  birds.  The 
first  of  these  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  geese 
being  especially  cultivated  in  England  for  the  sake  of  their 
quills  and  feathers,  and  for  the  purposes  of  food.  The 
goose,  far  from  being  the  foolish  bird  it  is  popularly  esteemed, 
often  shows  considerable  intelligence,  as  well  as  great  affection 
for  those  who  show  it  kindness. 

The  Many  instances  are  recorded  of  gratitude  shown 

O-ratitude  of   by   geese    towards    those  who  have  befriended 

the  Goose,     them.    Buffon  once  rescued  a  young  gander  from 


THE  GOOSE.  317 

an  older  and  stronger  bird,  after  which  his  young  prottgt 
would  follow  him  on  all  his  daily  walks,  never  tiring  of  his 
company.  "On  one  occasion,"  says  Buffon,  "he  heard  me 
talking  in  the  rector's  upper  room,  and  as  he  found  the 
front  door  open,  climbed  upstairs,  and,  marching  into  the 
room,  gave  a  loud  exclamation  of  joy,  to  the  no  small 
astonishment  of  the  family." 

A  Wild  Bishop  Stanley,  hi  his  "Familiar  History  of 
Goose  Chase.  Birds,"  says :—  "  An  officer  settled  on  a  farm  near 
the  Missouri  in  North  America,  one  day,  when  walking  near  the 
banks  of  the  river,  observed  a  large  eagle  frequently  darting 
towards  the  water,  and  then  rising  again.  On  a  near  approach, 
he  perceived  that  its  object  was  to  take  a  wild  goose,  which 
had  alighted  on  the  water,  and  which  was  diving  to  avoid 
so  powerful  an  enemy.  Its  efforts,  however,  appeared  to  be 
in  vain;  and,  after  diving  again  and  again,  and  as  often  rising 
to  get  breath,  it  became  nearly  exhausted,  when,  suddenly 
turning,  it  made  for  the  shore  with  all  speed  towards  the 
officer's  house,  where  two  men  were  at  work,  and  as  soon 
as  it  had  landed  walked  leisurely  up  to  them,  permitting 
itself  to  be  taken  without  attempting  to  escape.  It  was 
completely  exhausted,  but  soon  recovered,  and  within  three 
days  seemed  quite  contented,  and  confident  of  protection." 

Goose  There    are  some   curious   instances  known  of 

Friendships,  friendships  formed  by  geese  for  both  men  and 
animals,  apparently  without  any  special  reason.  A  goose  in 
Cheshire  once  followed  a  farmer  with  so  much  persistency, 
at  the  plough,  to  the  market,  and  in  the  house,  that  the 
farmer  who  had  shown  it  no  special  kindness,  superstitiously 
regarded  it  as  a  bird  of  ill  omen  and  had  it  killed.  A 
singular  friendship  grew  up  some  years  ago  between  a 
gander  at  York  and  an  old  man  who  lived  near  the  farm 
to  which  the  bird  belonged.  In  this  case  the  gander  waddled 
off  in  the  morning  and  spent  the  day  with  his  human  friend, 
returning  at  night  to  its  home  at  the  farm.  One  of  the 


3l8  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

prettiest  of  these  stories  is  that  of  a  gander  in  Germany  who 
used  to  lead  a  blind  woman  to  church,  taking  the  corner  of 
her  apron  in  his  beak,  and  wait  quietly  in  the  churchyard 
until  the  service  was  over  to  conduct  her  home  again. 
Another  goose  was  known  to  have  a  great  affection  for 
soldiers  and  to  regularly  perform  sentry  duty,  walking  back- 
wards and  forwards  for  hours  with  his  red-coated  friends. 
The  Qoose  and  A  more  singular  friendship  than  any  perhaps, 

the  Dog.  was  that  existing  between  a  goose  and  a  dog, 
thus  described  in  "The  Philosophical  Magazine": — 

"A  species  of  goose,  a  native  of  Africa,  belonging  to  a 
person  in  Scotland,  was  observed  some  time  ago  to  pay 
particular  attention  to  a  dog  which  was  chained  up;  a  dog 
which  had  previously  manifested  a  great  dislike  to  poultry, 
never  allowing  them  to  come  within  reach  of  his  chain.  The 
goose,  finding  she  had  nothing  to  fear  from  her  canine  friend, 
would  enter  his  kennel,  in  the  centre  of  which,  among  the 
straw,  she  made  her  nest  and  deposited  her  eggs,  which  was 
not  known  till  one  of  the  family  mentioned  that  the  goose 
slept  in  the  dog's  bosom.  The  singularity  of  the  circumstance 
led  to  an  examination  of  the  box,  but  not  without  the 
greatest  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the  dog,  who  appeared 
determined  to  protect  what  was  left  to  his  charge.  On 
removing  the  straw,  five  eggs  were  discovered  in  a  fine  bed 
of  down  and  feathers.  The  dog  was  in  the  habit  of  going 
into  his  box  with  the  greatest  care,  for  fear  of  injuring 
the  eggs." 

The  Maternal      The  ^ev-  C.  A.  Bury  gives  a  pathetic  illustra- 
instinct  of  the    tion  of  the  maternal  instinct  of  the  goose: — 

"An  old  goose,  that  had  been  for  a  fortnight 
hatching  in  a  farmer's  kitchen  was  perceived  on  a  sudden 
to  be  taken  violently  ill.  She  soon  after  left  the  nest,  and 
repaired  to  an  outhouse  where  there  was  a  young  goose  of 
the  first  year,  which  she  brought  with  her  into  the  kitchen. 
The  young  one  immediately  scrambled  into  the  old  one's 


THE  DUCK.  319 

nest,  sat,  hatched,  and  afterwards  brought  up  the  brood. 
The  old  goose,  as  soon  as  the  young  one  had  taken  her 
place,  sat  down  by  the  side  of  the  nest,  and  shortly  after 
died.  As  the  young  goose  had  never  been  in  the  habit  of 
entering  the  kitchen  before,  I  know  of  no  way  of  accounting 
for  this  fact  than  by  supposing  that  the  old  one  had  some 
way  of  communicating  her  thoughts  and  anxieties,  which  the 
other  was  perfectly  able  to  understand.  A  sister  of  mine, 
who  witnessed  the  transaction,  gave  me  the  information  in 
the  evening  of  the  very  day  it  happened."  The  Rev.  F.  C. 
Morris  tells  of  a  goose  which  had  a  number  of  ducks'  eggs 
placed  with  some  of  her  own  that  she  might  hatch  them, 
but  which  twice  removed  the  ducks'  eggs  from  the  group,  de- 
clining to  sit  on  any  but  her  own. 

The  Duck.  The  many  varieties  of  Ducks  might  well  occupy 
much  more  space  than  we  can  spare  for  them.  The  better 
known  of  these  are  the  Wild  Duck,  the  Common  Duck,  the 
Eider  Duck,  the  Long-tailed  Duck,  the  King  Duck,  the 
Canvas-back  Duck,  the  Mallard,  the  Teal,  the  Widgeon,  the 
Mandarin,  and  the  Common  Shelldrake. 

An  interesting  illustration  of  the  affection  which  ducks 
sometimes  show  towards  each  other  is  given  by  Dr.  Stanley. 
He  says: — "A  pair  of  Muscovy  Ducks  were  landed  at  Holyhead 
from  a  Liverpool  vessel,  returning  from  the  coast  of  Africa. 
The  male  was  conveyed  to  a  gentleman's  house,  and  put 
with  other  ducks,  towards  whom  he  evinced  the  utmost 
indifference :  he  evidently  pined  for  the  loss  of  his  mate ;  but 
she  was  brought  after  a  time,  and  let  loose;  he  did  not  at 
first  see  her,  but  when,  on  turning  his  head,  he  caught  a 
glimpse  of  her,  he  rushed  towards  her  with  a  joy  which  was 
quite  affecting.  Nothing  after  that  would  induce  him  to  quit 
her;  he  laid  his  beak  upon  hers,  nestled  his  head  under  her 
wing,  and  often  gazed  at  her  with  the  greatest  delight." 

The  Swan.  The  Swan  is  one  of  the  most  graceful  of  the 
bird  kind,  the  purity  of  its  colour  and  the  beauty  of  its 


520  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

form  as  it  glides  along  the  river  making  it  one  of  the  prettiest 
sights  in  nature.  There  are  several  varieties  of  the  swan,  of 
which  the  Whooping  Swan  and  the  Common  Swan  of  Europe, 
the  Black  Swan  of  Australia,  and  the  Black-necked  Swan  of 
South  America  are  the  most  familiar. 

The  Maternal      ^e  swan  *s  assiduous  in  the  care  of  her  young, 

Instinct  of  the  and   shows  great  intelligence    in  providing  for 

Swan.         thgjjj  as  weu  ^  courage  m  theu.  defence.     She 

makes  her  nest  in  the  grass  among  reeds;  and  in  February 
begins  to  lay,  depositing  egg  after  egg,  until  there  are  six  or 
eight  Dr.  Latham  mentions  two  females  that  for  three  or 
four  years  successively,  agreed  to  associate,  and  had  each  a 
brood  yearly,  bringing  up  together  about  eleven  young  ones: 
they  sat  by  turns,  and  never  quarrelled.  Captain  Brown 
gives  a  remarkable  illustration  of  the  courage  of  a  swan  in 
defending  her  nest.  He  says: — "A  female  swan,  while  in  the 
act  of  sitting,  observed  a  fox  swimming  towards  her  from  the 
opposite  shore:  She  instantly  darted  into  the  water,  and 
having  kept  him  at  bay  for  a  considerable  time  with  her 
wings,  at  last  succeeded  in  drowning  him ;  after  which,  in  the 
sight  of  several  persons,  she  returned  in  triumph.  This  cir- 
cumstance took  place  at  Pensy,  in  Buckinghamshire." 
The  Swan's  Mr.  Yarrell,  in  his  "British  Birds,"  mentions  a 
Intelligence,  remarkable  instance  of  the  sagacity  and  intelligence 
of  the  swan:  "A  female  swan  was  sitting  on  four  or  five 
eggs.  One  day  she  was  observed  to  be  very  busy  in  collecting 
weeds,  grasses,  and  sticks,  to  raise  her  nest  above  its  usual 
level.  A  kind-hearted  farming  man  threw  her  some  handfuls 
of  brushwood,  with  which  she  most  industriously  raised  her 
nest,  and  soon  placed  the  eggs  about  two  feet  and  a  half 
above  the  old  level.  That  night  there  came  down  a  tremen- 
dous fall  of  rain,  which  flooded  all  the  fields  and  cellars, 
and  did  great  damage  in  the  village.  Man  made  no  prepar- 
ation— the  bird  did;  and  instinct  prevailed  over  reason  I 
Her  eggs  were  above,  and  only  just  above,  the  water." 


THE  SEA-GULL.  321 

The  Swan       Swans   are  said  to  be  spiteful  at  times,  and  to 

and  the     show  a  savagery  of  temper  on  occasion,  for  which, 

Fawn-      as  in  the  following  case,  it  is  difficult  to  account. 

"In  the  park  of  Lord  Grantley  at  Wonersh,  near  Guildford, 

a  fawn,  drinking,  was  suddenly  pounced  upon  by  one  of  the 

swans,   which   pulled   the  animal  into  the  water,  and  held  it 

under  until  quite  drowned.     This  action  was  observed  by  the 

other  deer  in  the  park,  and  did  not  long  go  unrevenged ;  for 

shortly   after,  this  very  swan,  which  had  hitherto  never  been 

molested  by  the   deer,   was  singled   out  when  on  land,  and 

furiously  attacked  by  a  herd,  which  surrounded  and  killed  it." 

rpjjg  The  Gulls  are  a  numerous  family,  the  Common 

Common    Gull,   the  Herring  Gull,  the  Great  Black-Backed 

Sea-GuiL    QUJJ  an(j  ^e  jvorv  QUH  being  well  known  species. 

The   Common   Gull   is   found   everywhere.     It  frequents  the 

coasts  of  continents   and  islands  and  feeds  principally  upon 

fish,  though  its  voracity  is  very  accommodating,  and  its  taste 

not  over  fastidious. 

A  Tame  Many  years  ago,  Mr.  Scot,  of  Benholm,  near 
Sea-guiL  Montrose,  caught  a  sea-gull,  and  having  cut  its 
wings  put  it  into  his  garden.  The  bird  remained  in  this  situa- 
tion for  several  years,  and  being  kindly  treated,  became  so 
familiar,  as  to  come  at  call  to  be  fed  at  the  kitchen  door 
and  to  answer  to  the  name  of  Willie.  It  became  so  tame 
at  last  that  no  pains  were  thought  necessary  to  circumscribe 
its  liberty,  and  its  wings  having  grown  to  full  length,  it  flew 
away,  joined  the  other  gulls  on  the  beach,  and  fame  back, 
from  time  to  time,  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  house  When  its 
companions  left  the  country  at  the  usual  season,  Willie  ac- 
companied them,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  family.  To  their 
great  joy,  however,  it  returned  next  season;  and  with  its 
usual  familiarity  came  to  its  old  haunt,  where  it  was  welcomed 
and  fed  very  liberally.  In  this  way  it  went  and  returned  for 
forty  years,  without  intermission,  and  kept  up  its  acquaintance 
with  the  family,  for  while  in  the  country  it  visited  them 

21 


322  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

almost  daily,  answered  to  its  name  like  any  domestic  animal, 
and  ate  almost  out  of  the  hand.  One  year,  however,  very 
near  the  period  of  its  final  disappearance,  Willie  did  not  pay 
his  respects  to  the  family  for  eight  or  ten  days  after  the 
general  flock  of  gulls  were  upon  the  coast,  and  great  was 
their  lamentation  for  his  loss,  as  it  was  feared  he  was  dead: 
but  to  the  surprise  and  joy  of  the  family,  a  servant  one 
morning  came  running  into  the  breakfast-room  with  delight, 
announcing  that  Willie  was  returned.  The  whole  company 
rose  from  the  table  to  welcome  the  bird.  Food  was  supplied 
in  abundance,  and  Willie  with  his  usual  frankness  ate  of  it 
heartily,  and  was  as  tame  as  any  barn-yard  fowl  about  the 
house.  In  a  year  or  two  afterwards  this  grateful  bird  disap- 
peared for  ever. 

Mother  ^he  Stormy  Petrel  or  Mother  Carey's  Chicken, 
Carey's  is  a  small  black  bird  well  known  to  mariners,  and 
Chicken.  fam{ijar  to  all  at  sea  in  stormy  weather.  It 
follows  in  the  wake  of  ships  and  is  regarded  as  a  prophet  of 
evil,  at  least  in  so  far  as  stormy  weather  is  concerned.  It 
is  seen  in  many  parts  of  the  ocean  busily  engaged  in  searching 
for  food,  braving  the  fury  of  the  storm  and  skimming  along 
the  waves,  sometimes  above  their  tops,  and  sometimes  screen- 
ing itself  from  the  blast  by  sinking  down  into  the  billows 
between  them.  It  nests  in  all  but  inaccessible  places,  the 
Island  of  St.  Kilda  being  the  chief  British  breeding  place  of 
the  Fulmar  variety.  These  are  of  great  importance  to  the 
natives  who  run  great  risks  in  searching  for  their  eggs  and 
who  catch  the  birds  for  the  purposes  of  food,  and  for  the 
oil  which  they  supply. 

Catching  the     The  danger  attaching  to  the   capture  of  the 

stormy     Petrel  in  its  rocky  haunts  in  the  Hebrides  is  thus 

re        vividly  described  by  Mr.  Drosier.     "  As  the  stormy 

petrel,   is  scarcely   ever  to  be  seen  near  the  land,  except  in 

very   boisterous    weather,    one    of  the   natives   for  a  trifling 

remuneration,  agreed  to  traverse  the  face  of  a  rock,  and  take 


THE  STORMY  PETREL.  323 

me  some  from  out  its  fissures.  Accordingly,  accoutred  with 
a  rope  of  hemp  and  hogs'  bristles  coiled  over  his  shoulders, 
he  proceeded  to  the  cliff.  Having  made  one  end  fast  by 
means  of  a  stake,  he  threw  the  coil  over  the  face  of  the  rock, 
and  gradually  lowered  himself  down,  but  with  the  utmost 
caution  and  circumspection,  carefully  pressing  his  foot  hard 
upon  the  narrow  ridges  before  he  at  all  loosened  his  firm 
grasp  of  the  rope,  which  he  never  altogether  abandoned.  I 
had  previously  thrown  myself  upon  my  chest,  to  enable  me 
to  have  a  better  view  of  him,  by  looking  over  the  cliff;  and, 
certainly,  to  see  the  dexterity  and  bravery  with  which  he 
threw  himself  from  one  aperture  to  another,  was  truly  grand. 
The  tumbling  roar  of  the  Atlantic  was  foaming  many  hundreds 
of  feet  beneath,  and  dashing  its  curling  cream-like  surge  against 
the  dark  base  of  the  cliff,  in  sheets  of  the  most  beautiful 
white ;  while  the  herring  and  black-backed  gulls,  alternately 
sweeping  past  him  so  as  to  be  almost  in  reach  of  his  arm, 
threw  a  wildness  into  the  scene,  by  the  discordant  scream  of 
the  former,  and  the  laughing,  oft-repeated  bark  of  the  latter. 
This,  however,  he  appeared  entirely  to  disregard ;  and  con- 
tinuing his  search,  returned  in  about  half  an  hour,  with  seven 
or  eight  of  the  stormy  petrels,  tied  up  in  an  old  stocking, 
and  a  pair  of  the  Manks  puffins,  together  with  their  eggs. 
The  birds,  he  told  me,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  capturing.  The 
eggs  of  the  stormy  petrel  are  surprisingly  large,  considering 
the  diminutive  size  of  the  bird,  being  as  large  as  those  of 
the  thrush.  The  female  lays  two  eggs,  of  a  dirty  or  dingy 
white,  encircled  at  the  larger  end  by  a  ring  of  fine  rust-coloured 
freckles.  The  birds  merely  collect  a  few  pieces  of  dried  grass, 
with  a  feather  or  two,  barely  sufficient  to  prevent  the  eggs 
from  rolling  or  moving  on  the  rock." 

The  Cormorant.  The  Common  Cormorant  is  familiar  all  round 
the  coast  of  England,  and  will  even  sometimes  venture  inland 
or  at  any  rate  up  the  mouths  of  rivers.  Captain  Brown 
mentions  one  that,  many  years  ago,  was  seen  resting  upon 


324  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

the  vane  of  St.  Martin's  steeple,  Ludgate  Hill,  London;  and 
was  shot  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  people.  It 
is  a  voracious  bird  and  shows  great  dexterity  in  the  catching 
and  swallowing  of  fish,  turning  them  round  so  as  to  swallow  them 
head  foremost,  in  order  to  avoid  the  resistance  of  the  fins  and 
spines.  Colonel  Montague  had  one,  caught  in  a  tributary  of 
the  Bristol  Channel,  by  a  Newfoundland  dog,  which  at  first 
refused  food  but  offered  no  resistance  to  being  crammed. 
"  The  Colonel  having  retired  to  the  library  after  seeing  the 
bird  fed,"  says  Captain  Brown,  "  was  surprised  in  a  few 
minutes  to  see  it  walk  boldly  into  the  room,  unceremoniously 
place  itself  by  him  at  the  side  of  the  fire,  and  begin  to  dress 
its  feathers.  This  practice  it  continued  till  removed  to  an 
aquatic  menagerie.  Whenever  it  saw  the  water  it  became 
restless,  and  on  being  set  at  liberty,  plunged  into  it,  and 
incessantly  dived  for  a  considerable  time  in  search  of  fish. 
After  this,  it  seemed  to  be  convinced  that  there  were  none 
to  be  found  there,  as  it  was  not  noticed  to  dive  again  for 
three  days." 

The  Albatross.  The  great  Albatross  is  a  large  and  powerful 
bird,  measuring  three  feet  in  length  and  having  a  stretch  of 
wing  of  from  nine  to  twelve  or  fourteen  feet.  It  is  a  heavy 
bird,  and  needs  great  strength  to  sustain  its  weight  during 
its  long  and  rapid  flights.  Mrs.  Bowdich  says,  "  One  was 
known  to  follow  a  ship,  which  made  two  hundred  miles  a 
day,  for  forty-eight  hours;  and  besides  these  miles,  from  its 
irregular  flight,  it  must  have  passed  over  a  much  longer 
distance.  The  Albatross  darts  with  unerring  aim  and  great 
force  on  its  prey,  as  it  swims  on  the  top  of  the  waves.  A  man 
who  fell  overboard  near  the  island  of  St.  Paul's  was  killed 
'by  these  birds;  for,  although  the  boat  was  lowered  immediately, 
nothing  was  found  of  him  except  his  hat,  pierced  through 
and  through  by  the  beaks  of  three  albatrosses,  who  had 
marked  him,  pecked  him  on  the  head,  and  caused  him  to 
sink."  Their  flight  is  easy  and  apparently  performed  without 


THE  ALBATROSS — THE  PELICAN.  325 

effort  and  with  an  almost  imperceptible  movement  of  wing. 
The  Albatross  is  easily  caught  from  the  stern  of  a  ship  with 
a  hook.  Mr.  Wood  says :  "  It  seems  rather  remarkable  that 
a  bird  that  lives  in  or  over  the  sea  during  its  whole  life, 
should  prove  a  landsman  when  taken  on  board.  Yet,  when 
the  Albatross  is  caught  and  placed  on  deck,  it  begins  to 
stagger  about,  and  soon  becomes  as  "thoroughly  sea  sick  as 
the  most  inexperienced  cockney."  Mr.  Earl  thus  describes 
the  haunt  of  the  Albatross  in  the  heights  of  the  Island  of 
Tristan  d'Acunha :  "  A  death-like  stillness  prevailed  in  these 
high  regions,  and  to  my  ear  our  voices  had  a  strange  un- 
natural echo,  and  I  fancied  our  forms  appeared  gigantic, 
whilst  the  air  was  piercing  cold.  The  prospect  was  altogether 
sublime,  and  filled  the  mind  with  awe.  The  huge  Albatross 
here  appeared  to  dread  no  interloper  or  enemy;  for  their 
young  were  on  the  ground  completely  uncovered,  and  the 
old  ones  were  stalking  around  them. " 

The  Pelican.  The  Pelican  is  one  of  the  largest  of  swimming 
birds.  It  is  distinguished  by  the  possession  of  a  pouch  which 
is  capable  of  holding  two  gallons  of  water,  and  which  it  uses 
for  the  purposes  of  catching  fish,  and  feeding  its  young.  In 
this  latter  operation  the  bird  presses  its  pouch  which  hangs 
beneath  its  beak,  against  its  breast,  and  so  disgorges  its 
contents.  This  action  is  said  to  have  given  rise  to  the  fable 
that  pelicans  pluck  nourishment  from  their  own  breasts  to 
feed  their  young.  The  Pelican  belongs  to  the  South  and 
East  of  Europe  and  the  North  of  Africa. 

A  Tame  Mr.  Hill,  of  St.  Domingo,  gives  an  interesting 
Pelican,  account  of  a  tame  pelican  which  is  quoted  by 
Mrs.  Bowdich.  He  says:— "The  facility  with  which  the 
pelican  resigns  itself  to  fasting  or  feasting,  was  very  interest- 
ingly exhibited  to  me  in  a  bird  I  saw  the  other  day  at 
Passage  Fort.  It  was  a  pelican  of  mature  age;  it  flew  back- 
wards and  forwards,  visiting  the  wild  flocks,  and  feeding 
with  them  in  the  harbour  during  the  day,  and  withdrew  from 


$26  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

them  to  roost  in  its  master's  yard  during  the  night.  In  that 
period  of  restraint,  when  it  was  necessary  to  observe  the 
caution  of  drawing  its  quill  feathers,  to  keep  it  within 
diminished  capabilities  of  flight,  until  it  became  familiar  and 
domesticated,  it  was  wholly  dependent  on  the  fish  provided 
for  it  by  the  fishermen  of  the  beach.  Sunday  was  no  fishing 
day  with  these  men ;  *and  this  was,  therefore,  a  day  in  which 
there  were  no  supplies  for  the  pelican.  It  became,  in  time, 
so  conscious  of  the  recurrence  of  this  fast-day,  that  although, 
at  all  other  times,  it  went  daily  down  to  the  sea-side  to 
wait  the  coming  in  of  the  canoes,  on  the  seventh  day  it 
never  stirred  from  the  incumbent  trunk  of  a  tree,  on  which 
it  roosted,  within  the  yard.  It  had  been  found  necessary  to 
pluck  its  wings  within  the  last  two  or  three  months,  to  re- 
strain it  within  bounds,  in  consequence  of  its  absence  latterly 
with  the  wild  birds,  for  several  days  in  succession,  and  in 
this  state  it  was  reduced,  as  formerly,  to  depend  on  the 
fishermen  for  food.  The  old  habit  of  abstinence  and  drowsy 
repose  on  the  Sundays  again  recurred,  and  when  I  saw  it, 
it  was  once  more  a  tranquil  observer  of  the  rest,  and  with 
it  the  fast,  of  the  Sabbath-day." 

The  Penguin.  The  Penguin  belongs  to  South  America,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  There 
are  a  number  of  species ;  the  Jackass  Penguin,  so  called  from 
the  peculiarity  of  its  cry,  the  King  Penguin  of  the  South 
Pacific,  and  the  Cape  Penguin  of  Cape  Horn,  the  largest  of 
the  penguins,  being  the  principal  varieties.  Mr.  Darwin  in 
describing  the  Jackass  penguin  says: — "In  diving,  its  little 
plumeless  wings  are  used  as  fins,  but  on  the  land  as  front 
legs.  When  crawling  (it  may  be  said  on  four  legs)  through 
the  tussocks,  or  on  the  side  of  a  grassy  cliff,  it  moved  so 
very  quickly  that  it  might  readily  have  been  mistaken  for  a 
quadruped.  When  at  sea  and  fishing,  it  comes  to  the  surface, 
for  the  purpose  of  breathing,  with  such  a  spring,  and  dives 
again  so  instantaneously,  that  I  defy  any  one  at  first  sight 


THE  PENGUIN — THE  PUFFIN.  327 

to  be  sure  that  it  is  not  a  fish  leaping  for  sport."  The  pen- 
guin is  a  courageous  bird,  and  will  not  hesitate  to  attack  a 
man.  Mr.  Darwin  when  on  the  Falkland  Islands,  placed 
himself  between  one  of  the  Patagonian  penguins  and  the 
water,  and  till  it  reached  the  sea,  it  regularly  fought  and 
drove  him  backwards.  It  stood  close  before  him,  erect  and 
determined,  and  every  inch  gained  it  firmly  kept.  Nothing 
less  than  heavy  blows  would  have  stopped  it. 

The  Puffin.  The  Puffin  is  a  bird  of  singular  appearance 
and  interesting  habits.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  sea  parrot 
from  the  resemblance  of  its  head  to  that  of  the  Parrot 
kind.  The  bird  measures  thirteen  inches  in  length,  and  its 
bill  is  a  formidable  weapon.  The  Raven  seems  to  be  its 
natural  enemy,  and  when  they  come  to  close  quarters  a 
great  deal  depends  upon  which  succeeds  in  getting  the  first 
grip.  Naturally  each  bird  has  the  best  chance  in  its  own 
element.  It  is  a  bird  of  passage,  visiting  its  customary 
breeding  places  in  the  summer  and  wintering  in  southern 
Europe.  Mr.  Rennie  says,  "  In  the  breeding  season,  numer- 
ous troops  of  them  visit  several  places  on  our  coasts, 
particularly  the  small  island  of  Priestholm,  near  Anglesey, 
which  might  well  be  called  puffin  land,  as  the  whole  surface 
appears  literally  covered  with  them.  Soon  after  their  arrival 
in  May,  they  prepare  for  breeding,  and  it  is  said,  the  male, 
contrary  to  the  usual  economy  of  birds,  undertakes  the  hardest 
part  of  the  labour.  He  begins  by  scraping  up  a  hole 
in  the  sand  not  far  from  the  shore;  and  after  having  got 
some  depth  he  throws  himself  on  his  back,  and  with  his 
powerful  bill  as  a  digger  and  his  broad  feet  to  remove 
the  rubbish,  he  excavates  a  burrow  with  several  windings 
and  turnings,  from  eight  to  ten  feet  deep.  He  prefers, 
where  he  can  find  a  stone,  to  dig  under  it,  in  order  that 
his  retreat  may  be  more  securely  fortified.  Whilst  thus 
employed,  the  birds  are  so  intent  upon  their  work  that  they 
are  easily  caught  by  the  hand." 


328  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 


ORDER  X  "^is  order  includes  the  Ostrich,  the  Rhea,  the 
The  Cassowaries  and  the  Emus.  The  Ostrich  be- 
Ostricheo.  longs  to  Africa,  Australasia,  and  South  America. 
It  is  the  largest  of  the  birds,  attaining  to  a  height  of  six 
feet,  and  a  weight  of  three  hundred  pounds.  It  is  hunted 
for  the  sake  of  its  feathers,  but  being  very  swift  of  foot  has 
to  be  circumvented  by  strategy.  It  is  said  to  run  in  large 
curves,  which  habit  gives  the  hunter  the  opportunity  of  riding 
straight  and  intercepting  it.  "A  favourite  method  adopted 
by  the  wild  Bushman  for  approaching  the  Ostrich  and  other 
varieties  of  game,"  says  Captain  Gumming,  "is  to  clothe  him- 
self in  the  skin  of  one  of  these  birds,  in  which,  taking  care 
of  the  wind,  he  stalks  about  the  plain,  cunningly  imitating 
the  gait  and  motions  of  the  Ostrich,  until  within  range,  when, 
with  a  well-directed  poisoned  arrow  from  his  tiny  bow,  he 
can  generally  seal  the  fate  of  any  of  the  ordinary  varieties 
of  game.  "  The  eggs  of  the  Ostrich  are  also  much  prized. 
"The  nest,"  says  Captain  Gumming,  "is  merely  a  hollow 
scooped  in  the  sandy  soil,  generally  amongst  heath  or  other 
low  bushes;  its  diameter  is  about  seven  feet;  it  is  believed 
that  two  hens  often  lay  in  one  nest.  The  hatching  of  the 
eggs  is  not  left,  as  is  generally  believed,  to  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  cock  relieves  the  hen  in  the 
incubation.  The  eggs  form  a  considerable  item  in  the  Bush- 
man's cuisine,  and  the  shells  are  converted  into  water  flasks, 
cups,  and  dishes.  I  have  often  seen  Bush-girls  and  Bakala- 
hari  women,  who  belong  to  the  wandering  Bechuana  tribes 
of  the  Kalahari  desert,  come  down  to  the  fountains  from 
their  remote  habitations,  sometimes  situated  at  an  amazing 
distance,  each  carrying  on  her  back  a  kaross,  or  a  net-work 
containing  from  twelve  to  fifteen  ostrich  egg-shells,  which  had 
been  emptied  by  a  small  aperture  at  one  end;  these  they 
fill  with  water.  " 

The  Ostrich      The   Ostrich   shows  the  same  affection  for  its 
and  its  Young.  mate,   and  the  same  devotion  to  the  care  of  its 


THE  OSTRICH.  329 

young  that  we  have  noticed  in  other  birds,  and  in  animals. 
The  female  of  a  pair  in  Paris  died  through  swallowing  a 
three-cornered  piece  of  glass  which  a  glazier  had  dropped 
into  their  cage,  after  which  the  mate  pined  away  and  died 
in  a  few  weeks.  Of  their  care  of  their  young  Captain 
Gumming  says: 

"  I  fell  in  with  a  troop  of  about  twelve  young  ostriches, 
which  were  not  much  larger  than  Guinea-fowls.  I  was 
amused  to  see  the  mother  endeavour  to  lead  us  away,  exactly 
like  a  wild  duck,  spreading  out  and  drooping  her  wings,  and 
throwing  herself  down  on  the  ground  before  us  as  if  wounded, 
while  the  cock  bird  cunningly  led  the  brood  away  in  an 
opposite  direction."  Professor  Thunberg  once  rode  past  the 
place  where  a  hen  Ostrich  was  sitting  in  her  nest;  when 
the  bird  sprang  up,  and  pursued  him,  evidently  with  a  view 
to  prevent  his  noticing  her  eggs  or  young.  Every  time  he 
turned  his  horse  towards  her  she  retreated  ten  or  twelve 
paces;  but  as  soon  as  he  rode  again  she  pursued  him,  till 
he  had  got  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  place  where 
he  had  started  her. 

The  Bhea.  The  Rhea  is  a  beautiful  bird  of  the  ostrich 
The  Cassowary,  type  belonging  to  South  America.  There  are 

The  Emu.  severai  species,  known  as  the  Common  Rhea, 
the  Great-billed  Rhea,  and  Darwin's  Rhea,  the  latter  belong- 
ing to  Patagonia.  A  Common  Rhea  bred  some  time  ago  in 
the  Zoological  gardens,  when  the  male  bird  discharged  the 
duties  of  incubation.  The  Cassowary  and  the  Emu-  belong 
to  Australia.  The  Cassowary  resembles  the  ostrich  in  form, 
but  is  not  so  large.  It  stands  about  five  feet.  Like  all  these 
birds  it  is  unable  to  fly,  but  is  very  swift  of  foot.  It  can 
kick  too,  with  great  violence,  as  dogs  have  sometimes  found 
to  their  cost.  The  Emu  is  a  very  large  bird  and  is  said 
sometimes  to  exceed  six  feet  in  height. 

Mr.  Bennett  says:— "The  length  of  its  legs  and  the  muscu- 
larity of  its  thighs  enable  it  to  run  with  great  swiftness;  and  as 


330  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

it  is  exceedingly  shy,  it  is  not  easily  overtaken  or  brought  within 
gun-shot.  Captain  Currie  states  that  it  affords  excellent  coursing, 
equalling  if  not  surpassing  the  same  sport  with  the  hare  in 
England;  but  Mr.  Cunningham  says  that  dogs  will  seldom  attack 
it,  both  on  account  of  some  peculiar  odour  in  its  flesh  which 
they  dislike,  and  because  the  injuries  inflicted  upon  them  by 
striking  out  with  its  feet  are  frequently  very  severe.  The 
settlers  even  assert  that  the  Emu  will  break  the  small  bone 
of  a  man's  leg  by  this  sort  of  kick;  to  avoid  which,  well- 
trained  dogs  run  up  abreast,  and  make  a  sudden  spring 
at  the  neck,  whereby  the  bird  is  quickly  dispatched.  Its 
flesh  has  been  compared  to  coarse  beef,  which  it  resembles 
both  in  appearance  and  taste."  Mr.  Jesse  says,  "The  only 
instance  I  have  met  with  in  which  the  hen  bird  has  not  the 
chief  care  in  hatching  and  bringing  up  the  young,  is  in  the 
case  of  the  Emus,  at  the  farm  belonging  to  the  Zoological 
Society,  near  Kingston.  A  pair  of  these  birds  bred  five 
young  ones:  the  female,  at  different  times,  dropped  nine 
eggs  in  various  places  in  the  pen  in  which  she  was  confined. 
These  were  collected  in  one  place  by  the  male,  who  rolled 
them  gently  and  carefully  along  with  his  beak.  He  then 
sat  upon  them  himself,  and  continued  to  do  so  with  the 
utmost  assiduity,  for  nine  weeks,  during  which  time  the 
female  never  took  his  place,  nor  was  he  ever  observed  to 
leave  the  nest.  When  the  young  were  hatched,  he  alone 
took  charge  of  them,  the  female  not  appearing  to  notice 
them  in  any  way.  On  reading  this  anecdote,  many  persons 
may  suppose  that  the  female  emu  is  not  possessed  of  that 
natural  affection  for  its  young  which  other  birds  have.  In 
order  to  rescue  it  from  this  supposition,  I  will  mention  that 
a  female  emu  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  at 
Chiswick,  laid  some  eggs;  and  as  there  was  no  male  bird, 
she  collected  them  together  herself,  and  sat  upon  them." 
The  Apteryx,  the  wingless  bird  of  New  Zealand,  belongs 
to  this  order. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 
VERTEBRATA. 

CLASS   III—  REPTILIA. 


ORDER  I  ^kk  order  introduces  us  to  creatures  differing 
The  Tortoise  verv  widely,  in  form  and  character,  from  those 
and  which  we  have  been  considering.  There  are  more 
The  Turtle.  tnan  ^o  hundred  species  of  the  tortoise,  and 
these  are  grouped  into  four  families.  The  Common  European 
tortoise  is  found  in  the  South  of  France  and  Italy,  as  well 
as  in  Sicily  and  Greece.  It  feeds  on  vegetables,  and  under 
favourable  circumstances  lives  a  great  number  of  years.  It 
is  slow  hi  its  movements  but  it  burrows  rapidly  and  is  soon 
out  of  sight  in  the  sandy  soil  it  affects.  Tortoises  are  commonly 
kept  in  a  state  of  domestication  in  England,  one  known  to 
the  writer  showing  a  great  preference  for  pansies,  eating  the 
flowers  and  leaving  the  other  parts  of  the  plant.  Mr.  Wood 
describes  the  efforts  made  by  a  tortoise  in  his  possession  to 
attain  the  summit  of  a  footstool,  which  shows  that  the  reptile 
has  some  measure  of  intelligence.  "Unfit  as  the  form  of 
the  creature  may  seem  for  such  a  purpose,"  says  Mr.  Wood, 
"it  did  contrive  to  scramble  upon  a  footstool  which  was 
placed  by  the  fender.  Its  method  of  attaining  this  elevation 
was  as  follows:  —  First  it  reared  up  against  the  footstool  in 
the  angle  formed  by  it  and  the  fender,  and  after  several 
ineffectual  attempts,  succeeded  in  hitching  the  claws  of  one 
of  its  hind  feet  into  the  open  work  of  the  fender.  On  this 
it  raised  itself,  and  held  on  to  the  top  of  the  stool  by  its 

33* 


332  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

fore  feet,  while  it  gained  another  step  on  the  fender,  and 
so  managed  to  raise  itself  to  such  a  height,  that  it  only  had 
to  fall  flat  on  the  top  of  the  footstool.  When  once  there, 
it  could  hardly  be  induced  tc  leave  the  elevation  which  it 
had  gained  with  such  difficulty." 

The  Elephant  The  gigantic  tortoises  of  the  Galapagos  Islands 
Tortoise,  came  under  the  observation  of  Mr.  Darwin,  from 
whom  we  quote  the  following  descriptive  passages:  "These 
animals  are  found,  I  believe,  in  all  the  Islands  of  the  Galapagos 
Archipelago.  They  frequent  in  preference  the  high  damp 
parts,  but  likewise  inhabit  the  lower  and  arid  districts.  Some 
individuals  grow  to  an  immense  size.  Mr.  Lawson  told  us 
that  he  had  seen  several  so  large  that  it  required  six  or 
eight  men  to  lift  them  from  the  ground,  and  that  some  had 
afforded  as  much  as  two  hundred  pounds  of  meat.  This 
tortoise  is  very  fond  of  water,  drinking  large  quantities  and 
wallowing  in  the  mud.  The  larger  islands  alone  possess 
springs,  and  these  are  always  situated  towards  the  central 
parts  and  at  a  considerable  elevation.  The  tortoises,  there- 
fore, which  frequent  the  lower  districts,  when  thirsty  have  to 
travel  from  a  long  distance.  Hence  broad  and  well  beaten 
paths  radiate  off  in  every  direction  from  the  wells,  even 
down  to  the  sea  coasts,  and  the  Spaniards  by  following  them 
up  first  discovered  the  watering-places.  Near  the  springs  it 
was  a  curious  spectacle  to  behold  many  of  these  great 
monsters;  one  set  eagerly  travelling  onwards  with  outstretched 
necks,  and  another  set  returning,  having  drunk  their  fill.  The 
tortoises  when  moving  towards  any  definite  point,  travel  by 
night  and  day,  and  arrive  at  their  journey's  end  much  sooner 
than  would  be  expected.  One  large  tortoise,  which  I  watched, 
I  found  walked  at  the  rate  of  sixty  yards  in  ten  minutes, 
that  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  in  the  hour,  or  four  miles  a 
day,  allowing  also  a  little  time  to  eat  on  the  road.  During 
the  breeding  season,  when  the  male  and  female  are  together, 
the  male  utters  a  hoarse  roar  or  bellowing,  which,  it  is  said, 


THE  TORTOISE — THE  TURTLE.  333 

can  be  heard  at  a  distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  yards. 
The  female  never  uses  her  voice  and  the  male  only  at  such 
times.  They  were  at  this  season  (the  month  of  October) 
laying  their  eggs.  The  female,  where  the  soil  is  sandy, 
deposits  them  together  and  covers  them  up  with  sand;  but 
where  the  ground  is  rocky  she  drops  them  indiscriminately 
in  any  hollow.  Mr.  Bynoe  found  seven  placed  in  a  line  on 
a  fissure.  The  egg  is  white  and  spherical ;  one  which  I  measured 
was  seven  inches  and  three-eighths  in  circumference.  The 
inhabitants  believe  that  these  animals  are  absolutely  deaf, 
certainly  they  do  not  overhear  a  person  walking  close  behind 
them.  I  was  always  amused  when  overtaking  one  of  these 
great  monsters  as  it  was  quietly  pacing  along,  to  see  how 
suddenly,  the  instant  I  paused,  it  would  draw  in  its  head 
and  legs,  and  uttering  a  deep  hiss,  fall  to  the  ground  with 
a  heavy  sound  as  if  struck  dead.  I  frequently  got  on  their 
backs,  and  then,  upon  giving  a  few  raps  on  the  hinder  parts 
of  the  shell,  they  would  rise  up  and  walk  away,  but  I  found 
it  very  difficult  to  keep  my  balance.  The  flesh  of  these 
animals  is  largely  employed,  both  fresh  and  salted;  and  a 
beautiful  clear  oil  is  prepared  from  the  fat.  When  a  tortoise 
is  caught,  the  man  makes  a  slit  in  the  skin,  near  its  tail,  so 
as  to  see  inside  its  body  whether  the  fat  under  the  dorsal 
plate  is  thick.  If  it  is  not,  the  animal  is  Liberated;  and  is 
said  to  recover  soon  from  this  strange  operation.  In  order 
to  secure  the  tortoises  it  is  not  sufficient  to  turn  them,  like 
turtles,  for  they  are  often  able  to  regain  their  upright  position." 
The  Turtle.  The  Green  Turtle  is  the  turtle  of  the  famous 
soup.  It  is  a  large  animal,  measuring  five  or  six  feet  in  length 
and  weighing  from  five  hundred  to  six  hundred  pounds;  it 
feeds  on  sea-weeds  and  is  found  in  large  numbers  in  the 
seas  of  warm  latitudes.  The  species  from  which  we  get  the 
homy  substance  known  as  tortoiseshell  (Chelonia  Imbricata) 
is  sometimes  called  the  Hawk's-bill  turtle.  It  is  a  smaller 
variety,  measuring  about  three  feet  and  belonging  to  tropical 


334  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

seas.  The  Leathery  Turtle  is  said  to  reach  eight  feet  in  length 
and  a  weight  of  a  thousand  pounds.  The  Loggerhead  Turtle 
is  even  larger  than  this,  and  sometimes  weighs  as  much  as 
fifteen  hundred  pounds. 

ORDER  II.  The  Crocodile  and  the  Alligator  belong 
The  Crocodile,  respectively  to  the  Eastern  and  the  Western 
Worlds.  The  former  infests  the  rivers  of  Africa  and  Asia, 
one  species  at  least  belonging  to  Australia.  Some  of  the 
best  known  varieties  are  those  of  the  river  Nile,  the  Gavial 
of  the  Ganges  being  also  among  the  more  familiar  species. 
These  formidable  and  unwieldy  monsters  grow  to  an  immense 
size,  sometimes  attaining  to  a  length  of  twenty-five  feet. 
Their  enormous  jaws  and  innumerable  sharp  teeth  (they 
sometimes  number  a  hundred)  give  them  a  terrible  appear- 
ance, while  their  hard  scaly  coats  are  invulnerable  against 
ordinary  attack.  Their  point  of  weakness  is  their  unwieldy 
character,  taking  advantage  of  which  the  natives  will  dive 
beneath  them  and  stab  them  with  knives  in  vulnerable  parts. 
The  huntsman  aims  at  their  eyes  as  being  the  nearest  approach 
to  their  brains.  Mungo  Park  relates  that  one  of  his  guides 
across  the  river  Gambia  was  suddenly  seized  by  a  Crocodile 
and  pulled  under  the  water;  upon  which  the  negro  thrust 
his  fingers  into  the  animal's  eyes  with  such  violence  that  it 
quitted  its  hold,  but  seizing  him  again,  he  resorted  to  the 
same  expedient  and  with  more  success,  as  it  again  released 
him,  appeared  stupified,  and  then  swam  down  the  river. 
This  man  reached  the  bank  bleeding  very  much,  with  long 
and  deep  wounds  in  his  thighs,  which  incapacitated  him  for 
travel  for  six  days.  The  crocodile  lays  an  enormous  number 
of  eggs  on  the  banks  of  its  native  rivers,  but  most  of  these 
are  prevented  from  maturing  by  the  birds  and  animals  which 
prey  upon  them.  Mrs.  Bowdich  tells  an  amusing  story  of  a 
merchant  who  packed  some  crocodiles'  eggs  in  sand  for  ship- 
ment to  England  and  placed  the  barrel  containing  them  with 
other  goods  in  his  warehouse.  Strange  and  unaccountable 


THE   CROCODILE— THE   ALLIGATOR.  335 

noises,  attracted  attention  to  the  spot,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  the  eggs  had  become  hatched  and  the  young  crocodiles 
were  quite  ready  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  life.  The 
natives  fled  in  terror,  and  the  merchant  had  to  take  speedy 
measures  for  destroying  his  unexpected  brood.  Some  species 
of  the  crocodile  have  been  tamed  or  partially  so,  the  sacred 
crocodiles  being  among  these.  Accustomed  to  be  fed  regularly 
by  the  same  hands  they  gradually  become  familiar  with  their 
priestly  attendants,  and  .to  some  extent  obedient  to  their 
commands.  Mungo  Park  says: — "The  crocodiles  of  the 
Congo  appear  to  be  of  a  smaller  species,  and  not  so  numerous 
as  those  at  Old  Calabar,  where  they  continually  float  past  the 
shipping  like  large  grey  pieces  of  timber,  and  are  so  bold 
that  they  frequently  seize  people  in  the  small  canoes.  In 
Old  Calabar  river,  I  once  observed  a  crocodile  swimming 
with  a  large  cat-fish  in  its  mouth  to  the  opposite  shore.  It 
held  the  fish  by  the  head,  whilst  the  body  was  thrown  into 
a  perpendicular  position.  I  watched  it  with  the  spy-glass 
until  it  had  dragged  the  fish  upon  the  mud  bank,  and 
commenced  its  meal." 

The  Alligator.  The  Alligator  of  which  there  are  some  ten 
or  twelve  species  known,'  is  found  exclusively  in  America.  The 
Mississippi  Alligator  is  one  of  the  most  familiar  of  these. 
The  Alligator  is  smaller  than  the  crocodile,  which  it  much 
resembles  in  form  and  habit,  though  specimens  have  been 
met  with  which  measure  twenty-two  feet  in  length.  The 
Alligator  is  naturally  most  abundant  in  tropical  regions. 
Captain  Brown  says :  "  In  the  height  of  the  dry  season  in 
torrid  regions  all  animated  nature  pants  with  consuming 
thirst.  A  party  of  wood  cutters,  English  and  Irish,  went 
on  one  occasion  to  hunt  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  lake 
called  Pies  Pond  in  Beef  Island,  one  of  the  smaller  islands 
of  the  Bay  of  Campeachy.  To  this  pond  the  wild  cattle 
repaired  in  herds  to  drink,  and  here  the  hunters  lay  in  wait 
for  them.  The  chase  had  been  prosecuted  with  great  success 


336  NATURAL  HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

for  a  week,  when  an  Irishman  of  the  party  going  into  the 
water  during  the  day,  stumbled  upon  an  alligator,  which 
seized  him  by  the  knee.  His  cries  alarmed  his  companions, 
who  fearing  he  had  been  seized  by  the  Spaniards,  to  whom 
the  island  belonged,  instead  of  affording  assistance,  fled  from 
the  huts  which  they  had  erected.  The  Irishman  seeing  no 
appearance  of  help,  with  happy  presence  of  mind  (a  quality 
which  the  natives  of  that  country  possess  in  an  eminent 
degree)  quietly  waited  till  the  alligator  loosened  his  teeth  to 
take  a  new  and  surer  hold;  and  when  it  did  so,  snatched 
away  his  knee,  interposing  the  butt-end  of  his  gun  in  its 
stead,  which  the  animal  seized  so  firmly  that  it  was  jerked 
out  of  the  man's  hand  and  carried  off.  He  then  crawled 
up  a  neighbouring  tree,  again  shouting  after  his  comrades, 
who  now  found  courage  to  return."  Mr.  Waterton  in  his 
"  Wanderings"  says,  "  One  Sunday  evening,  some  years  ago, 
as  I  was  walking  with  Don  Felipe  de  Ynciarte,  governor  of 
Augustura,  on  the  bank  of  the  OroSnque,  'Stop  here  a 
minute  or  two,  Don  Carlos,'  said  he  to  me,  '  while  I  recount 
a  sad  accident.  One  fine  evening  last  year,  as  the  people 
of  Augustura  were  sauntering  up  and  down  here,  in  the 
Alameda,  I  was  within  twenty  yards  of  this  place,  when  I 
saw  a  large  Cayman  rush  out  of  the  river,  seize  a  man,  and 
carry  him  down,  before  any  one  had  power  to  assist  him. 
The  screams  of  the  poor  fellow  were  terrible  as  the  Cayman 
was  running  off  with  him ;  he  plunged  in  the  river  with  his 
prey;  we  instantly  lost  sight  of  him,  and  never  saw  or  heard 
him  more.'" 

A  Tame  That  the  Alligator  is  amenable  to  kindness  is 
Alligator,  shown  by  the  following  account  of  a  tame  specimen, 
which  we  quote  from  Mr.  Jesse.  He  says,  "  The  most  singular 
instance  of  attachment  between  two  animals,  whose  nature 
and  habits  were  most  opposite,  was  related  to  me  by  a 
person  on  whose  veracity  I  can  place  the  greatest  reliance. 
Before  he  took  up  his  abode  at  Hamoden-court,  he  had 


A  TAME  ALLIGATOR.  337 

resided  for  nine  years  in  the  American  States,  where  he 
superintended  the  execution  of  some  extensive  works  for  the 
American  government.  One  of  these  works  consisted  in  the 
erection  of  a  beacon  in  a  swamp  in  one  of  the  rivers,  where 
he  caught  a  young  alligator.  This  animal  he  made  so  per- 
fectly tame,  that  it  followed  him  about  the  house  like  a 
dog,  scrambling  up  the  stairs  after  him,  and  showing  much 
affection  and  docility.  Its  great  favourite,  however,  was  a 
cat,  and  the  friendship  was  mutual.  When  the  cat  was 
reposing  herself  before  the  fire  (this  was  at  New  York),  the 
alligator  would  lay  himself  down,  place  his  head  upon  the 
cat,  and  in  this  attitude  go  to  sleep.  If  the  cat  was  absent, 
the  alligator  was  restless ;  but  he  always  appeared  happy 
when  the  cat  was  near  him.  The  only  instance  in  which 
he  showed  any  ferocity  was  in  attacking  a  fox,  which  was 
tied  up  in  the  yard.  Probably,  however,  the  fox  resented 
some  playful  advances,  which  the  other  had  made,  and  thus 
called  forth  the  anger  of  the  alligator.  In  attacking  the  fox 
he  did  not  make  use  of  his  mouth,  but  beat  him  with  so 
much  severity  with  his  tail,  that  had  not  the  chain  which  con- 
fined the  fox  broken,  he  would  probably  have  killed  him. 
The  alligator  was  fed  on  raw  flesh,  and  sometimes  with  milk, 
for  which  he  showed  great  fondness.  In  cold  weather  he  was 
shut  up  in  a  box,  with  wool  in  it ;  but  having  been  forgotten 
one  frosty  night,  he  was  found  dead  in  the  morning." 
ORDER  III  Order  III  consists  of  a  large  reptile  belong- 
Hatteria  ^nS  to  New  Zealand  which  for  anatomical  rea- 
Punctata.  sons  cannot  be  classed  either  with  the  Croco- 
diles or  the  Lizards.  It  is  rare  if  not  almost  extinct,  but  a 
specimen  may  be  seen  in  the  Natural  History  Museum. 
ORDER  IV.  The  lizards  form  an  exceedingly  numerous 
The  Lizards,  order.  There  are  many  hundreds  of  different 
species,  large  and  small,  of  which  we  can  only  refer  to  the 
Chameleon,  the  Iguana,  the  common  Lizard,  and  the  Monitor. 
The  Chameleon.  The  Chameleon  Family  belongs  to  Africa, 

22 


338  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

the  common  variety  being  otherwise  found  in  central  Asia 
and  Ceylon.  There  are  several  genera  and  numerous  species. 
They  live  on  insects  and  possess  tongues  of  unusual  length, 
furnished  with  a  sticky  mucus,  which  they  protrude  and  re- 
tract with  such  rapidity  and  certainty  of  aim  that  insects 
are  caught  and  conveyed  to  the  mouth  with  a  speed  the 
eye  cannot  follow.  The  characteristic  for  which  they  are 
most  famous  is  that  of  changing  their  colour,  a  power  which 
has  doubtless  been  much  exaggerated,  but  which  no  less 
surely  exists.  Mrs.  Bowdich  describes  some  she  had  in  her 
possession  ;  she  says,  "  Mine  became  green  and  yellow,  as- 
sumed lighter  and  brighter  lines,  but  I  could  not  see  the 
bright  blue  or  red  substances  on  which  I  put  them  reflected  in 
their  skins."  According  to  M.  D'Obsonville,  who  is  quoted 
by  Mrs.  Bowdich,  the  original  colour  is  green,  the  shades  of 
which  vary  according  to  circumstances.  When  at  liberty, 
and  in  health,  it  assumes  gradations  of  brown,  red,  or  light 
grey ;  when  well-fed  and  in  the  open  air,  if  provoked,  it 
becomes  a  blue-green  ;  but  when  feeble,  or  deprived  of  free 
air,  the  prevailing  tint  is  yellow-green.  If  surrounded  and 
teased  or  if  one  of  its  own  species  comes  near,  it  exhibits  all 
three  tints  of  green.  If  dying,  especially  of  hunger,  yellow 
first  predominates  ;  and  when  dead,  it  is  the  colour  of  dead 
leaves. 

The  Iguana.  The  Common  Iguana,  which  sometimes  attains 
to  a  length  of  five  feet,  belongs  to  South  America.  It  is  a 
singular-looking  animal,  but  is  much  esteemed  as  an  article 
of  food,  its  flesh  resembling  that  of  chickens.  When  taken 
young  it  may  be  tamed  by  kindness,  but  otherwise  it  is  fierce 
when  attacked,  and  its  bite  is  very  severe.  It  is  said  that  the 
natives  of  the  Bahama  Islands,  who  subsist  largely  on  the 
Iguana,  sew  up  their  mouths  to  prevent  their  biting  when  they 
wish  to  keep  them  alive  for  a  time. 

The  Common      The  Common  Lizard  and  the  Sand  Lizard  are 
Lizard.      the  varieties  found  in  England.     The  Common 


THE   COMMON   LIZARD.  339 

Lizard  is  (he  smaller  of  the  two,  measuring  about  six  inches, 
the  Sand  Lizard  sometimes  attaining  to  double  that  length. 
The  former  frequents  green  and  sunny  banks,  and  is  so  rapid 
in  its  movements  when  disturbed  that  it  is  sometimes  mistaken 
for  a  viper.  The  latter,  which  frequents  sandy  heaths  and  lives 
in  burrows,  assimilates  to  the  colour  of  its  surroundings. 
The  Monitor.  The  Monitor  is  the  largest  of  the  Lizards, 
sometimes  measuring  as  much  as  six  feet  in  length.  The 
largest  of  these  frequents  the  Nile,  and  is  known  as  the  Nile 
Monitor,  from  the  habit  attributed  to  it  of  signalling  the 
presence  of  crocodiles  by  a  peculiar  whistling  sound.  Dr. 
Abel  Smith  says,  "It  is  usually  met  with  in  rocky  precipices, 
or  on  low,  stony  hills,  and  when  surprised,  seeks  conceal- 
ment in  the  chinks  of  the  former,  or  in  the  irregular  cavities 
of  the  latter  ;  and  when  any  projections  exist  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  rocks  or  stones,  it  clasps  them  so  firmly  with  its 
toes,  that  it  becomes  a  task  of  no  small  difficulty  to  dislodge 
it,  even  though  it  can  be  easily  reached.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances the  strength  of  no  one  man  is  able  to  withdraw 
a  full-grown  individual ;  and  I  have  seen  two  persons  re- 
quired to  pull  a  specimen  out  of  a  position  it  had  attained, 
even  with  the  assistance  of  a  rope  fixed  in  front  of  its  hin- 
der legs.  The  moment  it  was  dislodged  it  flew  with  fury 
at  its  enemies,  who  by  flight  only  saved  themselves  from 
being  bitten.  After  it  was  killed,  it  was  discovered  that 
the  points  of  all  the  nails  had  been  broken  previously,  or 
at  the  moment  it  lost  its  hold.  It  feeds  upon  frogs,  crabs, 
and  small  quadrupeds,  and,  from  its  partiality  to  the  two 
former,  it  is  often  found  among  rocks  near  to  springs  or  run- 
ning streams,  which  fact  having  been  observed  by  the  natives, 
has  led  them  to  regard  it  as  sacred,  and  not  to  be  injured  with- 
out danger  of  drought. ' ' 

ORDER  IV-     There  are  hundreds  of  species  of  snakes  dis- 

Snakes.      tributed  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  of  which 

we  can  only  select  a  few  of  the  better  known  for  present  pur- 


340  NATURAL    HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

poses.  These  are  the  Viper,  the  Rattlesnake,  the  Cobra,  the 
Boa  Constrictor. 

The  Viper.  The  Viper  is  found  throughout  Europe  and  is 
the  only  venomous  reptile  known  in  England.  It  feeds  on 
frogs,  lizards,  mice  and  other  small  animals,  but  like  many  of 
the  snake  kind  often  gorges  itself  and  falls  a  victim  to  its 
own  rapacity.  A  Viper  mentioned  in  the  "  Magazine  of 
Natural  History"  swallowed  a  lizard  almost  as  large  as  itself, 
with  the  result  that  one  of  the  lizard's  legs  protruded  through 
its  side.  Another  Viper  came  into  the  possession  of  Professor 
Bell,  which  had  lost  its  life  through  attempting  to  swallow  a 
mouse  which  was  too  big  for  it,  the  skin  of  its  neck  being  so 
distended  as  to  burst  in  several  places.  The  sting  of  the 
Viper,  though  venomous,  is  not  nearly  so  fatal  as  is  com- 
monly supposed.  The  simplest  remedy  is  suction,  a  fomen- 
tation, and  the  application  of  oil.  Vipers  are  sometimes 
caught  by  the  sudden  seizure  of  the  hand,  at  the  neck,  where- 
upon the  creature  opens  its  mouth  to  bite  its  captor  who  cuts 
off  its  fangs  with  a  pair  of  scissors. 

The  Viper  "  On  August  4th,  1776,"  says  Gilbert  White, 
and  its  "  we  surprised  a  large  viper,  which  seemed  very 
m18'  heavy  and  bloated,  as  it  lay  in  the  grass  basking  in 
the  sun.  When  we  came  to  cut  it  up,  we  found  that  the 
abdomen  was  crowded  with  young,  fifteen  in  number  ;  the 
shortest  of  which  measured  full  seven  inches,  and  were  about 
the  size  of  full-grown  earth-worms.  This  little  fry  issued  into 
the  world  with  the  true  viper-spirit  about  them,  showing 
great  alertness  as  soon  as  disengaged  from  the  belly  of  the 
dam  :  they  twisted  and  wriggled  about,  and  set  themselves  up, 
and  gaped  very  wide  when  touched  with  a  stick,  showing 
manifest  tokens  of  menace  and  defiance,  though  as  yet  they 
had  no  manner  of  fangs  that  we  could  find,  even  with  the 
help  of  our  glasses.  To  a  thinking  mind  nothing  is  more 
wonderful  than  that  early  instinct  which  impresses  young  ani- 
mals with  a  notion  of  the  situation  of  their  natural  weapons, 


THE   RATTLESNAKE.  341 

and  of  using  them  properly  in  their  own  defence,  even  before 
those  weapons  subsist  or  are  formed.  Thus  a  young  cock 
will  spar  at  his  adversary  before  his  spurs  are  grown  ;  and  a 
calf  or  a  lamb  will  push  with  their  heads  before  their  horns  are 
sprouted. ' ' 

The  Rattle-  The  Rattlesnake  belongs  to  America,  and  many 
snake.  exaggerate^!  stories  are  current  concerning  it.  At 
certain  seasons  it  is  very  fierce  and  its  bite  at  all  times  very  dan- 
gerous, but  in  the  ordinary  way  it  will  not  attack  anything  but 
the  animals  it  feeds  upon,  unless  molested.  It  has  been  tamed 
and  kept  in  cages,  one  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Pierce  making 
friends  with  a  toad  which  was  introduced  to  its  cage  for  the 
purposes  of  food,  and  allowed  it  to  take  many  liberties. 

"After   the   death   of   this   snake,"    says   Mr. 
The  Sting  J 

of  the  Pierce,  "  I  examined  his  fangs  ;  they  were  sharp 
Rattle-  like  a  sickle  j  a  duct  led  from  the  reservoir  of 
poison  at  the  bottom  of  the  tooth  quite  through 
its  whole  length,  and  terminated  just  by  the  point,  which  was 
exceedingly  sharp.  Thus,  when  the  fang  is  darted  out  it 
makes  the  puncture,  and  simultaneously  the  poison  flows 
through  the  duct,  and  is  deposited  in  the  very  bottom  of  the 
wound.  As  this  rarely  fails  to  touch  a  blood-vessel,  the  venom 
is  thus  instantly  issued  into  the  system,  and  without  delay, 
commences  the  march  of  death  through  every  vein  and  artery. ' ' 
Mr.  Smith  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions  (1848)  says  : — 
"If  a  venomous  serpent  be  made  repeatedly  to  inflict 
wounds,  without  allowing  sufficiently  long  intervals  for  it  to 
recover  its  powers,  each  successive  bite  becomes  less  and  less 
effective.  A  gentleman  who  had  a  rattlesnake  in  a  cage,  put  a 
rat  in  with  it ;  it  immediately  struck  the  rat,  which  died  in 
two  minutes.  Another  rat  was  then  introduced,  which  ran  as 
far  as  it  could  from  the  snake,  with  cries  of  distress.  In  half 
an  hour,  during  which  time  the  snake  showed  no  hostility,  on 
being  irritated,  it  struck  the  rat,  which  died  in  twenty  minutes. 
A  third,  and  remarkably  large  rat,  was  then  thrust  into  the 


342  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

cage,  which  showed  no  terror  of  the  snake,  and  the  snake  took 
no  notice  of  the  rat ;  the  gentleman,  after  watching  them  for 
the  whole  evening,  went  to  bed,  and  when  he  inspected  the 
cage  the  next  morning,  the  snake  was  dead,  and  the  muscular 
part  of  its  back  eaten  by  the  rat. ' ' 

The  rattle  consists  of  a  number  of  horny  joints  which  when 
shaken  produce  the  sound  by  which  it  is  known,  and  which 
gives  notice  of  the  proximity  of  the  snake. 

' '  The  black  snake  of  Central  America, ' '  says 

The  Black  '          * 

Snake  and  the  Mr.  Byam,  "  is  a  deadly  enemy  to  the  rattlesnake  ; 
Rattlesnake.  jt  js  next  jn  sjze  to  t^e  ^OSi^  but  much  more  agile  ; 

very  vicious  and  ill-tempered,  but  not  poisonous  ;  it  measures 
from  nine  to  ten  feet,  and  whenever  they  meet  a  pitched  battle 
ensues,  which,  if  tolerably  equal  in  size,  ends  in  favour  of  the 
black  snake.  It  is  not  known  whether  they  bite  each  other, 
but,  at  all  events,  the  poison  of  the  venomous  serpent  has  no 
effect  upon  his  adversary,  although  a  rattlesnake  bit  itself  one 
day,  and  died  of  the  wound.  A  black  and  a  rattlesnake  were 
each  descending  opposite  banks  to  drink  at  a  stream  a  yard 
broad  ;  the  black  fellow  sprang  over  the  stream,  and  they  in- 
stantly joined  in  conflict.  They  twined  together,  and  the 
black  snake  had  evidently  most  muscular  power,  so  that  in 
half  an  hour  the  rattlesnake  was  dead,  and  the  black  snake 
swallowed  him,  gliding  into  the  thicket,  double  the  size  he 
was  when  he  came  out  of  it. ' ' 

The  Cobra.  The  Cobra  is  one  of  the  most  venomous  of  the 
snakes  of  the  East.  It  is  common  all  over  India  and  Ceylon 
and  the  Islands  of  the  Archipelago.  It  attains  to  a  length  of 
five  or  six  feet,  and  feeds  on  birds,  small  animals,  lizards,  frogs, 
toads,  and  fishes,  in  the  pursuit  of  which  it  will  ascend  trees 
and  swim  the  sea.  Notwithstanding  its  dangerous  character, 
the  Cobra  is  the  chosen  subject  of  the  Indian  snake-charmer, 
who  keeps  it  in  a  basket,  until  the  time  for  the  performance 
and  then  allows  it  to  creep  out  to  the  sounds  of  a  native  fife, 
upon  hearing  which  the  Cobra  immediately  expands  its  beauti- 


THE   COBRA.  343 

ful  though  threatening  hood,  erects  its  neck,  and  commences  a 
series  of  undulating  movements,  which  are  continued  until  the 
sound  of  the  fife  ceases,  when  the  snake  instantly  drops,  and  is 
replaced  in  its  basket  by  its  master. 

Snake  "  One  morning,  as  I  sat  at  breakfast,"  says  a 

Charming.  writer  in  the  Penny  Magazine,  "  I  heard  a  loud 
noise  and  shouting  among  my  palankeen  bearers.  On  enquiry, 
I  learned  that  they  had  seen  a  large  hooded  snake,  and  were 
trying  to  kill  it.  I  immediately  went  out,  and  saw  the  snake 
creeping  up  a  very  high  green  mound,  whence  it  escaped  into 
a  hole,  in  an  old  wall  of  an  ancient  fortification  ;  the  men 
were  armed  with  their  sticks,  which  they  always  carry  in  their 
hands,  and  had  attempted  in  vain  to  kill  the  reptile,  which  had 
eluded  their  pursuit,  and  in  his  hole  had  coiled  himself  up 
securely,  whilst  we  could  see  his  bright  eyes  shining.  I  had 
often  desired  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  report,  as  to  the  effect 
of  music  upon  snakes.  I  therefore  enquired  for  a  snake- 
catcher.  There  was  one  about  three  miles  off,  and  I  accord- 
ingly sent  for  him,  keeping  a  strict  watch  over  the  snake,  which 
never  attempted  to  escape,  whilst  we,  his  enemies,  were  in 
sight.  About  an  hour  elapsed,  when  my  messengers  returned, 
bringing  a  snake-catcher.  This  man  wore  no  covering  on  his 
head,  nor  any  on  his  person,  excepting  a  small  piece  of  cloth 
round  his  loins  ;  he  had  in  his  hands  two  baskets,  one  con- 
taining tame  snakes,  the  other  empty  ;  these,  and  his  musical 
pipe,  were  the  only  things  he  had  with  him.  I  made  the 
snake-catcher  leave  his  two  baskets  on  the  ground,  at  some 
distance,  while  he  ascended  the  mound  with  his  pipe  alone. 
He  began  to  play  ;  at  the  sound  of  music  the  snake  came  grad- 
ually and  slowly  out  of  his  hole.  When  he  was  entirely  within 
reach,  the  snake-catcher  seized  him  dexterously  by  the  tail, 
and  held  him  thus  at  arm's  length,  while  the  snake,  enraged, 
darted  his  head  in  all  directions,  but  in  vain  ;  thus  suspended, 
he  has  not  the  power  to  round  himself,  so  as  to  seize  hold  of 
his  tormentor.  He  exhausted  himself  in  vain  exertions  ;  when 


344  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

the  snake-catcher  descended  the  bank,  dropped  him  into  the 
empty  basket,  and  closed  the  lid,  he  then  began  to  play,  and 
after  a  short  time  raising  the  lid  of  the  basket,  the  snake  darted 
about  wildly,  and  attempted  to  escape  ;  the  lid  was  shut  down 
again  quickly,  the  music  always  playing.  This  was  repeated 
two  or  three  times  ;  and,  in  a  very  short  interval,  the  lid  being 
again  raised,  the  snake  sat  on  his  tail,  opened  his  hood,  and 
danced  quite  as  quietly  as  the  tame  snakes  in  the  other  basket, 
nor  did  he  again  attempt  to  escape. " 

The  Cobra  as  ^  gentleman  m  India  once  visited  a  neighbour- 
Companion  ing  station  for  the  purpose  of  taking  part  in  a 
j  the  Bath.  crjc]iet  match,  and  was  hospitably  entertained. 
He  was  put  up  in  a  large  tent,  accompanied  by  his  wife. 
After  the  day's  play,  at  dusk,  he  went  between  the  canvas  walls 
of  the  tent  where  his  bath  was  ready.  Touching  the  bath-tub, 
were  placed  two  large  earthenware  jars,  full  of  cold  water,  and 
next  to  them  was  a  brass  basin,  also  containing  water,  on  a 
stand  ;  the  light  was  burning  in  the  centre  of  the  tent  so  that 
between  the  canvas  walls  was  darkness.  He  stepped  into  the 
tub,  and  finding  the  water  too  hot,  bent  down  to  take  up  one 
of  the  .cold  water  jars,  but  something  induced  him  instinctively 
to  refrain.  He  stayed  his  hand,  at  the  same  time  calling  out 
to  his  wife  to  bring  a  light,  which  she  did  when,  to  his  horror, 
he  saw  a  large  cobra  coiled  round  the  mouth  of  the  jar,  within 
a  foot  of  his  naked  legs.  The  sensation  can  be  imagined.  To 
move  was  probably  death,  to  stand  still  required  nerve.  Ex- 
perience and  courage  decided  the  point,  and  fixing  his  eye  on 
the  reptile,  he  quietly  told  his  wife  to  put  down  the  light  on 
the  ground  and  get  him  a  stick.  The  wife,  a  sensible  crea- 
ture, obeyed,  leaving  her  lord  in  the  agonies  of  suspense  as  to 
what  the  snake's  next  move  would  be.  This  was  soon  settled 
by  the  reptile  uncoiling  itself  and  gliding  up  the  chillumchee 
stand  on  to  the  basin,  from  which  it  commenced  drinking. 
By  this  time  the  stick  was  gently  put  into  the  bather's  hand, 
who  with  a  well-directed  blow  cut  the  snake  in  half  against 


A   NIGHT   WITH   A   COBRA.  345 

the  edge  of  the  copper  basin,  thus  putting  a  full  stop  to  a 
thrilling  period. 

A  Night  with  I  was  on  a  visit  during  the  rainy  season,  a  few 
a  Cobra.  years  ago,  says  a  recent  writer,  when  I  slept  upon 
an  iron  bedstead  which  had  two  lots  of  bedding  on  it.  The 
first  night  I  awoke,  as  I  thought  with  a  horrible  nightmare, 
feeling  the  cold  slimy  body  of  a  snake  gliding  over  my  person, 
and  imagining  myself  in  the  regions  described  in  Milton's 
Paradise  Lost,  and  so  wondrously  drawn  by  Dore.  I  was 
bathed  in  perspiration,  and  trembled  all  over  till  daylight 
brought  relief,  and  I  convinced  myself  it  must  have  been 
merely  a  nightmare.  But  the  next  night  I  again  awoke  in 
terror,  feeling  the  same  awful  sensation  of  a  cold,  clammy  body 
gliding  gently  along  my  side,  and  passing  with  a  wriggle  over 
my  body  ;  terror  preventing  me  moving.  Whether  I  fainted 
or  again  fell  asleep  I  have  never  been  able  to  decide,  but  at 
daylight  I  fled  from  the  room  and  sat  cowering  in  the  verandah, 
in  a  state  of  mind  bordering  on  insanity.  My  hostess  was  in- 
formed of  my  state,  and  got  me  round  with  a  glass  of  wine. 
Nothing  could  induce  me  to  re-enter  my  bedroom.  The 
bearer  and  other  domestics  were  sent  for,  and  headed  by  the 
mistress  of  the  house,  inspected  the  bed  by  removing  the  sheets. 
Nothing  was  to  be  seen  till  one  of  the  servants  brushed  his  leg 
against  something  soft  and  cold,  and  looked  down  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  two  beddings  ;  he  saw  the  end  of  a  dark-coloured 
tail.  A  howl  from  him  scattered  the  servants  and  made  me 
imagine  the  snake  was  about  to  attack  me.  The  valiant  ser- 
vants again  assembled,  and  with  sticks  entered  the  bedroom 
and  poked  off  the  upper  bedding,  revealing  a  large  hooded 
cobra  coiled  in  the  centre,  which  was  eventually  despatched 
by  blows. 

An  Unpieas-       A  soldier  in  a  regiment  stationed  at  C 

ant  Bedfellow.  waS}  for  disorderly  conduct,  condemned  to  pass 
the  night  in  one  of  the  cells.  Just  as  he  was  going  to  sleep 
he  was  startled  by  hearing  a  noise,  which  he  knew  could  only 


346  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

be  occasioned  by  a  snake.  Instead  of  jumping  up  and  calling 
to  the  sentinel  for  help,  and  perhaps  treading  on  the  snake 
and  being  bitten  by  it,  he  lay  perfectly  still,  knowing  that  un- 
less disturbed  the  snake  would  not  hurt  him.  Presently  the 
snake  drew  its  cold  slimy  body  over  his  bare  feet.  There  are 
few  persons  who,  in  a  similar  condition,  would  not  have  drawn 
up  their  legs  with  a  start,  but  our  hero  did  not  even  move. 
Soon  the  snake  began  to  crawl  over  his  body  and  even  passed 
over  his  face.  The  poor  soldier  hardly  dared  to  breathe.  At 
last  the  reptile  coiled  itself  under  his  pillow,  and  when  day 
broke  our  soldier,  seizing  the  stone  with  which  he  ought  to 
have  blocked  up  the  hole  by  which  the  snake  entered,  crushed 
it  to  death.  On  being  examined,  the  reptile  proved  to  be  of  a 
kind  whose  bite  is  almost  invariably  fatal. 

The  Boa  The  Boa  Constrictor  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the 
Constrictor.  snake  kind.  It  is  not  venomous,  but  is  possessed 
of  enormous  strength  which  it  shows  by  coiling  itself  round 
the  object  of  its  attack  and  crushing  it  into  a  shapeless  mass. 
It  belongs  to  tropical  America  and  feeds  on  birds,  and  animals 
of  all  kinds,  not  hesitating  to  attack  even  the  larger  quad- 
rupeds. The  following  account  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Byam 
will  give  an  idea  of  the  way  in  which  these  monsters  dispose 
of  their  prey. 
The  Boa  and  An  Englishman  and  an  Indian,  travelling  to- 

its  Prey,  gether  through  a  thick  forest,  heard  a  noise  like 
the  cry  of  a  child  in  great  pain.  Pulling  out  their  pistols,  and 
tying  up  their  horses,  they  proceeded  to  the  spot,  and  there 
saw  a  boa  crushing  a  young  roebuck  with  short  horns.  It  had 
wound  itself  twice  round  its  prey,  just  behind  the  shoulders, 
one  coil  lying  on  the  other  to  increase  the  weight,  and  its  teeth 
were  fastened  on  the  back  of  the  deer's  head.  The  tail  was 
twisted  twice  round  a  young  tree  close  by.  It  was  too  busy  to 
observe  the  strangers  ;  and  the  Englishman  wished  to  attack 
it,  and  save  the  deer  ;  but  the  Indian  walked  off  very  gently, 
and  made  signs  to  him  to  follow.  When  they  had  regained 


THE   BOA  AND   ITS   PREY.  347 

their  horses,  the  Indian  said  it  would  have  been  madness  to 
have  fought  with  the  irritated  animal,  and  they  went  their  way. 
This  was  seven  in  the  morning,  and  they  marked  the  spot  by 
notching  the  trees.  At  four  in  the  afternoon  they  again  passed 
that  way,  and  found  the  boa  lying  straight  upon  the  ground  ; 
one  of  the  horns  of  the  roebuck  sticking  out  of  a  corner  of  the 
mouth,  and  the  other  looking  as  if  it  would  perforate  the  neck 
of  ihe  snake  ;  the  tail  was  still  coiled  round  the  tree,  and  the 
middle  of  the  body  looked  like  a  nine-gallon  cask.  A  few 
blows  of  the  hunting  sword  about  the  tail  finished  the  monster  ; 
but  when  attacked,  it  tried  to  throw  up  the  deer."  The  boa 
has  been  known  to  measure  upwards  of  twenty-five  feet,  though 
commonly  not  exceeding  eighteen  feet. 
The  Boa's  Captain  Heyland  thus  describes  a  boa  which 
Appetite,  was  in  his  possession  for  some  time  : — "  The  ani- 
mal was  brought  to  me  early  in  January,  and  did  not  taste  food 
from  that  time  until  the  July  following.  During  this  period 
he  generally  drank  a  quart  of  water  daily.  The  man  who 
brought  him  stated,  that  he  had  been  seen  to  eat  a  hog  deer 
the  day  before  he  was  taken.  He  was  allowed  to  be  at  liberty 
in  the  grounds  about  my  house.  One  evening  early  in  July, 
hearing  a  noise,  I  went  out,  and  discovered  that  the  snake  had 
left  his  harbour,  under  the  boards  of  a  stable  where  he  generally 
lay  ;  and  having  entered  a  small  shed  in  which  some  fowls 
were  roosting,  had  swept  eleven  from  the  perch,  and  destroyed 
them  by  pressing  them  between  his  folds.  Then  taking  them 
one  by  one,  head  foremost  into  his  mouth,  swallowed  the  whole 
down  in  twenty  minutes.  The  largest  animal  that  he  ate  while 
in  my  possession  was  a  calf,  which  he  killed  and  gorged  in 
two  hours  and  twenty  minutes.  He  never  attacked  dogs,  cats, 
or  pigs.  Of  these  last,  indeed,  he  seemed  to  be  in  dread,  for, 
whenever  one  was  presented  to  him,  he  retired  to  a  corner,  and 
coiled  himself  up,  with  his  head  undermost.  If  fed  with  ani- 
mals not  larger  than  a  duck,  he  ate  readily  every  day  ;  but 
after  the  meal  of  a  goat,  refused  food  for  a  month." 


348  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 


A  Terrible  ^ot  many  years  ago,  says  a  writer  in  "  Chums," 
Boa.  a  boa  escaped  from  a  menagerie  at  Grenoble,  and 
disappeared  without  leaving  a  trace.  A  few  days  afterwards  a 
certain  Monsieur  Flisson  went  on  a  visit  to  Beauregard  along 
with  a  friend,  who  accompanied  him  on  an  excursion  among 
the  romantic  hills  and  rocks  in  that  part  of  the  country.  At  a 
particularly  interesting  spot  he  tarried  behind  his  friend,  and, 
in  order  to  enjoy  the  glorious  prospect,  sat  down  on  what  ap- 
peared to  be  a  stone  covered  with  soft  moss.  It  was  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  M.  Flisson,  though  shortsighted, 
was  a  man  of  prodigious  strength.  This  was  lucky  for  him, 
for  the  stone  now  began  to  move  under  him,  stretched  itself 
out  with  the  elasticity  of  a  spring,  and  lifted  him  several  feet 
from  the  ground.  M.  Flisson  had  sat  down  on  the  boa.  Be- 
fore he  had  time  to  recover  his  presence  of  mind,  he  felt  him- 
self rolling  downwards.  The  serpent  had  curled  his  tail  round 
a  tree-trunk,  and  Flisson  held  its  head  firmly  grasped  between 
his  hands.  A  strange  and  terrible  struggle  ensued.  The  boa, 
securely  fastened  to  the  tree,  pulled  upwards,  and  Flisson, 
still  clinging  with  herculean  strength  to  the  head  of  the  crea- 
ture, found  himself  at  last  swinging  over  a  precipice  of  about 
seventy  feet  in  depth,  as  though  suspended  by  a  rope.  In 
this  terrible  situation  he  remained  ten  minutes,  until  his  friend, 
with  the  assistance  of  a  few  countrymen,  came  to  his  relief. 
A  Narrow  Mr.  Byam's  book  contains  many  interesting 

Escape.  anecdotes  of  the  experiences  of  travellers  of  which 
the  following  snake  story  is  one. 

"  Two  travellers  passed  a  hillock  in  a  marsh,  and  heard  some 
groans  proceeding  from  a  man  on  the  top  of  it.  Earnestly 
beckoned  to  approach,  they  at  first  hesitated,  thinking  it  might 
be  a  contrivance  to  entice  them  into  danger.  They,  however, 
went  near,  and  the  man  told  them  that,  while  asleep,  a  snake 
had  crept  up  his  loose  drawers,  and  was  then  lying  on  his 
stomach,  and  from  what  he  had  seen  of  it,  he  believed  it  to  be 
a  Coral-snake,  one  of  the  deadliest  of  the  western  serpents. 


A   NARROW   ESCAPE.  349 

He  had  nothing  on  but  his  drawers  and  a  short  cloak.  The 
travellers  saw  the  form  of  the  snake  under  the  drawers  ;  they 
dismounted,  put  on  thick  gloves,  took  a  pair  of  scissors,  cut 
very  carefully  through  the  drawers  till  they  came  to  the  head 
of  the  animal,  still  fast  asleep,  and  then  one  of  them  seized  it 
by  the  neck,  and  so  released  the  poor  man.  It  was  nearly 
three  feet  long,  as  thick  as  a  walking-stick,  coral-red  in  colour, 
with  yellow  rings.  The  poor  man  said  he  had  passed  two  or 
three  hours  in  that  dangerous  situation,  which  appeared  as  long 
as  weeks,  and  had  called  to  two  or  three  passers-by,  who  had 
all  avoided  him,  from  the  supposition  that  it  was  the  decoy  of 
a  marauding  Indian.  He  was  completely  unmanned,  and  his 
strength  was  prostrated  by  his  apprehensions. ' ' 


NATURAL    HISTORY    IN    ANECDOTE. 
VERTEBRATA. 

CLASS   IV — BATRACHIA. 

The  Class  IV  of  the  Vertebrate  comprises  the  Batra- 

Batraehia.  chja  which  are  divided  into  three  orders  :  I  Pseu- 
dophidia,  II  Urodela,  III  Anura.  The  first  order  comprises 
the  limbless  worm-like  reptiles  of-  the  genus  Caecilia  of  Africa 
and  South  America  ;  the  second  includes  the  Newts  and  the 
Salamanders  ;  the  third  the  Frogs  and  the  Toads.  Leaving 
the  first  two  orders,  we  devote  a  few  lines  to  the  third,  dealing 
with  the  Toad,  the  Common  Frog  and  the  Tree  Frog.  The 
members  of  this  order  are  singular  for  the  extraordinary  changes 
through  which  they  pass  between  birth  and  maturity.  As  Tad- 
poles, in  which  form  they  first  reach  life,  they  have  thick  black 
legless  bodies  ending  in  tapering  tails,  and  are  provided  with 
the  fishlike  anatomy  necessary  to  an  aquatic  existence.  In  the 
process  of  development  they  completely  change  both  in  internal 
arrangement  and  external  appearance.  The  gills  are  exchanged 
for  lungs,  the  legs  supersede  the  tail  and  the  internal  system 
undergoes  corresponding  change.  In  the  end  the  animal  be- 
comes semi-aquatic,  capable  of  living  under  water  for  some 
time,  but  compelled  to  come  to  the  surface  for  air  at  intervals  ; 
and  also  of  living  out  of  the  water  altogether  in  such  places  as 
afford  sufficient  moisture,  damp  being  as  necessary  to  their 
comfort  as  food  and  air.  They  hybernate  in  the  winter  and 
propagate  in  the  spring  ;  and  in  times  of  drought  burrow  into 
the  earth  and  remain  lethargic  until  rain  falls.  They  feed  on 

350 


THE   BATRACHIA.  351 

insects  and  slugs  for  which  they  have  a  voracious  appetite. 
Their  tongues,  which  like  those  of  the  chameleon  and  other 
insect  eaters,  are  furnished  with  a  sticky  mucus  to  which  in- 
sects adhere, — when  in  repose,  turn  inwards  towards  the  throat 
and  the  act  of  catching  flies  and  other  insects  is  simply  that  of 
flapping  the  tongue  out  and  in  again,  an  act  performed  with 
such  rapidity  as  to  almost  escape  observation. 
The  Common  The  toad  is  found  in  all  temperate  and  torrid 
Toad.  climes.  It  hides  in  d?.mp  secluded  places  during 
the  day,  emerging  in  search  of  food  at  night,  or  after  the  fall 
of  rain.  Though  voracious  in  its  appetite,  it  can  accommo- 
date itself  to  circumstances  and  can  subsist  with  little  food  if  its 
abode  be  damp.  Failing  food  and  damp,  it  has  yet  another 
resource,  namely  that  of  sleep,  or  torpor,  in  which  condition 
it  can  lay  by  and  wait  for  better  times.  Under  such  circum- 
stances the  toad  naturally  lives  a  long  life  and  survives  condi- 
tions usually  fatal.  The  voracity  of  the  toad  is  attested  by  the 
following  incident  furnished  by  Captain  Brown.  "  A  gentle- 
man who  resides  at  Keswick,  Cumberland,  one  evening  in  the 
latter  end  of  July,  observed  a  rustling  among  the  strawberries 
in  his  garden,  and  on  examining  what  it  was,  found  that  a 
toad  had  just  seized  a  field-mouse,  which  had  got  on  the 
toad's  back,  scratching  and  biting  to  get  released,  but  in  vain. 
The  toad  kept  his  hold,  and  as  the  strength  of  the  mouse  failed, 
he  gradually  drew  the  unfortunate  little  animal  into  his  mouth, 
and  gorged  him." 

Tame  Toads.  The  toad  may  be  easily  tamed.  Mr.  Wood 
tells  of  one  which  lived  with  a  family  for  years  and  was  in  the 
habit  of  supping  on  a  piece  of  sugar.  The  story  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  and  the  tame  toad  deserves  telling  in  this  con- 
nection. The  Duke  of  Wellington  was  one  day  taking  his 
usual  country  walk,  when  he  heard  a  cry  of  distress.  He 
walked  to  the  spot,  and  found  a  chubby,  rosyfaced  boy  lying 
on  the  ground,  and  bending  his  head  over  a  tame  toad,  and 
crying  as  if  his  little  heart  would  break.  Enquiry  elicited  the 


352  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

fact  that  the  boy  was  about  to  be  sent  to  boarding  school  and 
that  he  was  afraid  the  toad  lacking  his  attention  would  die  in 
his  absence.  The  duke  promised  to  look  after  the  toad  and 
apprise  the  boy  from  time  to  time  of  its  condition.  During 
the  time  he  was  at  school  he  received  five  letters  couched  in 
the  following  terms  : — Stralhfieldsaye,  July  27,  1837.  "  Field 
Marshal  the  Duke  of  Wellington  is  happy  to  inform  William 
Harries  that  his  toad  is  alive  and  well."  When  the  boy  re- 
turned for  his  Christmas  holidays,  the  toad  was  as  the  duke 
said,  "Alive  and  well,"  but,  in  accordance  with  the  usual 
habits  of  these  animals,  he  was  in  his  winter's  sleep,  in  which 
he  remained  until  spring  and  genial  weather  brought  him 
from  his  well-guarded  hole  in  the  ground. 

The  The  Common  Frog  (Rana  Temporaria)  is  now 

Common  found  all  over  the  British  Isles.  Formerly  un- 
og'  known  in  Ireland  it  was  introduced  there  about 
the  year  1700  and  has  since  spread  all  over  the  country.  The 
frog  is  more  sociable  than  the  toad  and  is  often  seen  and  heard 
in  large  numbers  ;  his  habits  however  are  very  similar  and  his 
mode  of  seizing  his  prey  the  same.  The  Edible  Frog  belongs 
to  Europe,  where  it  is  used  as  an  article  of  food  and  is  not 
found  in  England.  The  Bull  Frog  is  an  Indian  variety  and 
attains  to  a  great  size.  The  American  Bull  Frog  is  also  an  in- 
teresting species. 

Th  Mr.  Jesse  gives  the  following  illustration  of  the 

Ingenuity  of  ingenuity  of  the  Frog  :  "  I  may  mention  a  curi- 
the  Prog.  oug  observation  made  in  regard  to  some  frogs  that 
had  fallen  down  a  small  area,  which  gave  light  to  one  of  the 
windows  of  my  house.  The  top  of  the  area  being  on  a  level 
with  the  ground,  was  covered  with  some  iron  bars,  through 
which  the  frogs  fell.  During  dry  and  warm  weather,  when 
they  could  not  absorb  much  moisture,  I  observed  them  to  ap- 
pear almost  torpid  ;  but  when  it  rained  they  became  impatient 
of  their  confinement,  and  endeavoured  to  make  their  escape, 
which  they  did  in  the  following  manner.  The  wall  of  the 


THE   FROG.  353 

area  was  about  five  feet  in  height,  and  plastered  and  white- 
washed, as  smooth  as  the  ceiling  of  a  room.  Upon  this  sur- 
face the  frogs  soon  found  that  their  claws  would  render  them 
little  or  no  assistance  ;  they  therefore  contracted  their  large 
feet,  so  as  to  make  a  hollow  in  the  centre,  and  by  means  of  the 
moisture  which  they  had  imbibed  in  consequence  of  the  rain, 
they  contrived  to  produce  a  vacuum,  so  that  by  the  pressure 
of  the  air  on  the  extended  feet  (in  the  same  way  that  we  see 
boys  take  up  a  stone  by  means  of  a  piece  of  wet  leather  fastened 
to  a  string),  they  ascended  the  wall  and  made  their  escape. 
This  happened  constantly  in  the  course  of  three  years." 
The  Tree  The  Tree  Frog  of  which  there  are  numerous 
Frog.  varieties  belongs  to  both  East  and  West  occurring 
in  China  and  Japan  as  well  as  in  North  and  South  America. 
It  is  not  found  in  England.  Mr.  Gosse  says:  "They  are 
very  numerous  in  the  damp  woods  of  tropical  America,  and 
reside  by  day  in  the  tofts  of  those  parasitical  plants,  which 
form  reservoirs  for  rain-water.  The  under-surface  of  their 
bodies  is  very  different  to  that  of  the  terrestrial  species  ;  for  the 
skin,  instead  of  being  smooth,  is  covered  with  granular  glands, 
pierced  by  numerous  pores,  through  which  the  dew  or  rain, 
spread  on  the  surface  of  the  leaves,  is  rapidly  absorbed  into  the 
system,  and  reserved  to  supply  the  moisture  needful  for  cutane- 
ous respiration.  The  males  make  the  woods  resound  through- 
out the  night  with  their  various  cries,  and,  mingled  with  the 
shrill  chirping  of  insects,  quite  banish  sleep  from  the  stranger's 
eyes." 


NATURAL    HISTORY    IN   ANECDOTE. 
VERTEBRATA. 

CLASS   V— PISCES. 

Fishes.  We  now  come  to  the  fifth  and  last  class  of  the 
Vertebrata,  a  class  so  large  that  it  is  impossible  to  deal  ade- 
quately with  it  in  a  single  volume  of  ordinary  size,  much  less 
in  a  single  section  of  one  treating  of  the  whole  of  the  verte- 
brates. There  are  said  to  be  10,000  species,  so  that  a  book 
which  devoted  one  page  to  each  would  make  an  enormous  vol- 
ume. All  that  can  be  done  here  is  to  deal  with  a  few  of  the 
better  known  species,  as  far  as  possible  selecting  types  of  orders 
without  attempting  to  follow  closely  any  classification.  Giinther 
divides  the  Fishes  into  six  sub-classes,  which  are  further  ar- 
ranged in  thirteen  orders.  The  first  of  these  orders  includes 
the  Sticklebacks,  the  Perches,  the  Mullets,  the  Gurnards,  the 
Mackerel  and  the  Swordfish  besides  others.  Of  these  we  can 
deal  with  but  two  or  three. 

The  The  Stickleback  is  associated  with  the  earliest 

Sticklebacks,  efforts  of  the  youthful  angler,  and  most  of  us  can 
remember  capturing  specimens  of  some  fresh-water  variety,  in 
the  days  of  childhood,  and  carrying  them  home  in  triumph  in 
a  bottle.  There  are  a  number  of  species  of  the  stickleback, 
some  living  in  fresh  water  and  some  being  marine.  They  are 
extremely  voracious  and  it  is  a  good  job  for  a  large  number  of 
other  living  things  that  they  are  no  bigger  than  they  are.  They 
are  also  very  pugnacious  and  fight  among  themselves  with  great 
determination.  The  Stickleback  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half 

354 


Plate  No.  18 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


i 


SPANISH  MACKEREL. 


MACKEREL. 


IEL. 


ERRINq. 


THE   STICKLEBACKS.  355 

in  length  and  is  furnished  with  spines  which  it  uses  with  great 
effect  when  fighting  with  its  enemies. 

The  stickle-       ^r-  Jonn  Stark  who  experimented  with  some 
back  and  the  sticklebacks  and  leeches  some  years  ago  gives  the 

following  description  of  his  experiences. 
"  On  putting  the  leeches  into  the  water,  the  stickleback 
darted  round  the  tumbler  with  lively  motions  till  it  found  a 
leech  detached,  and  in  a  proper  situation  for  being  seized. 
When  the  leech  was  very  small,  say  about  half  an  inch  in 
length,  it  was  often  swallowed  at  once  before  it  reached  the 
bottom  of  the  vessel,  but  when  a  larger  one,  about  an  inch, 
or  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length  in  its  expanded  state,  was  put 
in,  and  had  fastened  itself  by  its  mouth  to  the  glass,  the  efforts 
of  the  stickleback  to  seize  and  tear  it  from  its  hold,  were  inces- 
sant, and  never  failed  to  succeed.  It  darted  at  the  loose  ex- 
tremity, or,  when  both  ends  were  fastened,  at  the  curve  in  its 
middle,  seized  it  in  its  mouth,  rose  to  near  the  surface,  and 
after  a  hearty  shake  (such  as  a  dog  would  give  a  rat)  let  it 
drop.  The  leech,  who  evidently  wished  to  avoid  its  enemy 
upon  its  release  again,  attached  itself  by  its  mouth  to  the 
glass  ;  but  again  and  again  the  attack  was  repeated,  till  the 
poor  leech  became  exhausted,  and  ceased  to  attempt  holding 
itself  by  its  disc.  The  stickleback  then  seized  it  by  the  head 
in  a  proper  position  for  swallowing,  and  after  a  few  gulps  the 
leech  disappeared.  The  flattened  leech  being  of  an  oval  form, 
and  having  a  hard  skin,  was  not  attacked,  unless  when  very 
young,  and  small ;  and  leeches  of  the  other  species  when  pretty 
well  grown,  or  larger  than  himself  when  expanded,  were  killed 
in  the  manner  above  mentioned,  but  not  swallowed.  In  one 
of  his  attempts  to  seize  a  leech,  the  stickleback  having  got  it 
by  the  tail,  the  animal  curled  back  and  fixed  its  disc  upon  his 
snout.  The  efforts  of  the  stickleback  to  rid  himself  of  this  en- 
cumbrance were  amusing.  He  let  go  his  hold  of  the  leech, 
which  then  hung  over  his  mouth,  and  darting  at  the  bottom 
and  sides  of  the  glass  with  all  his  strength,  endeavoured  to  rub 


356  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

off  this  tantalizing  morsel.  This  lasted  for  nearly  a  minute, 
when  at  last  he  got  rid  of  the  leech  by  rubbing  his  back  upon 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel.  The  leech,  perfectly  aware  of  the 
company  he  was  in,  no  sooner  loosed  his  hold,  than  he  at- 
tempted to  wriggle  away  from  his  devourer  ;  but  before  he  had 
reached  mid-way  up  the  tumbler,  the  stickleback  had  turned 
and  finished  the  contest  by  swallowing  him  up." 

The  The  mackerel  is  one  of  the  most  useful  as  well 

Mackerel.  as  one  of  the  mOst  beautiful  of  familiar  fishes.  It 
measures  from  twelve  to  twenty  inches  and  weighs  from  one 
and  a  half  to  two  or  three  pounds.  It  is  elegant  of  form  and 
brilliant  of  colour,  as  well  as  agreeable  as  an  article  of  food. 
Mackerel  visit  the  coast  of  England  in  vast  shoals  at  certain 
seasons,  but  retire  to  deep  seas  for  the  winter.  They  are  ex- 
ceedingly voracious,  and  prey  upon  the  herrings  ;  Captain 
Brown  tells  a  story  of  a  number  of  mackerel  fastening  on  to  a 
sailor  who  had  plunged  into  their  midst  for  a  bath.  The  man 
was  rescued  by  his  comrades,  but  he  died  soon  after  from  loss 
of  blood. 

The  The  sword-fish  is  a  formidable  member  of  this 

Sword-fish,  order.  It  is  found  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  the 
Atlantic,  and  sometimes  visits  the  English  coast.  It  has  been 
known  to  measure  ten  feet  or  more  without  the  sword,  with 
which  it  attains  even  to  a  length  of  fifteen  feet.  It  attacks 
other  large  fish  and  is  a  great  enemy  to  the  whale,  which  it 
charges  with  great  force  and  destructive  effect.  It  is  said  some- 
times to  mistake  the  hull  of  a  ship  for  the  body  of  a  Whale  and 
to  charge  it  accordingly,  with  the  result  that  it  leaves  its  sword 
fixed  in  the  ship's  timbers  as  the  bee  leaves  its  sting  in  human 
flesh.  The  sword  of  this  fish  is  formed  by  the  elongation  of 
its  upper  jaw  and  some  idea  of  the  force  with  which  it  can  be 
used  may  be  gained  from  the  fact  that  one  found  in  the  hull 
of  a  ship  at  Liverpool  and  described  by  Scoresby  had  pene- 
trated a  sheet  of  copper,  an  oak  plank  two  and  a  half  inches  in 
thickness,  a  solid  oak  timber  of  seven  and  a  half  inches,  and 


Plate  No.  19 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTOR' 


G>EAROBIN: 


AB-ASS. 


cSDWORDFISH 


ERCH, 


THE   SWORD-FISH.  357 

another  plank  also  of  two  inches.  "  The  position  of  the  bone 
was  at  the  distance  of  four  feet  horizontally  from  the  stern,  and 
two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  water  when  the  vessel  was 
afloat.  Hence,  it  appeared,  that  when  the  ship  had  been  in 
rapid  progress  through  the  water,  she  had  been  met  with  and 
struck  by  a  sword-fish  advancing  in  an  opposite  direction,  by 
the  shock  of  which,  or  by  the  action  of  the  water  forced  past 
the  body  of  the  animal  by  the  vessel's  progress,  the  snout  had 
been  broken  off  and  detached.  The  blow,  though  it  must 
have  been  singularly  forcible,  was  not  observed  by  any  person 
in  the  ship.  Had  the  bone  been  withdrawn,  the  vessel  would 
probably  have  foundered."  Mr.  Wood  says  in  one  instance,  a 
sword-fish  attacking  a  whaling-ship,  drove  its  weapon  "  through 
the  copper  sheathing,  an  inchboard  sheathing,  a  three-inch 
plank  of  hard  wood,  the  solid  white  oak  timber  of  the  ship 
twelve  inches  thick,  through  another  two-and-a-half  inch  hard 
oak  ceiling  plank,  and  lastly,  perforated  the  head  of  an  oil- 
cask,  where  it  still  remained  immovably  fixed,  so  that  not  a 
single  drop  of  oil  escaped." 

The  Cod.  The  third  order  of  Dr.  Gunther's  classification 
includes  many  of  the  more  familiar  fishes.  Here  we  find  the 
Cod,  the  Haddock,  the  Place,  the  Flounder,  the  Halibut,  the 
Turbot,  the  Brill  and  the  Sole.  Of  these  we  will  take  the  Cod 
as  representative.  The  Cod  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  of  fish. 
Enormous  quantities  are  caught  and  consumed  every  year  and 
yet  the  number  seems  to  increase  rather  than  decrease.  This 
is  accounted  for  by  the  fact,  that  the  spawn  of  one  fish  will 
sometimes  contain  nine  millions  of  eggs.  The  Cod  frequents 
the  deep  seas  of  the  temperate  and  colder  climes,  not  being 
found  in  any  quantities  north  of  Iceland,  or  South  of  Gibraltar. 
They  are  found  chiefly  in  the  Northern  Atlantic,  where  exten- 
sive fisheries  are  carried  on,  but  they  are  also  caught  in  the 
Forth  of  Firth  at  the  mouth  of  which  some  of  the  best  are 
taken.  The  Cod  grows  very  rapidly  and  often  to  a  great  size. 
One  is  said  to  have  been  caught  off  Scarborough  many  years 


358  NATURAL  HISTORY   IN  ANECDOTE. 

ago  which  weighed  seventy-eight  pounds  and  measured  five 
feet  eight  inches  in  length.  They  feed  on  herrings,  sprats, 
mollusca,  worms,  and  small  shell  fish,  are  very  voracious,  and 
have  excellent  digestions.  Captain  Brown  killed  one  at  Kil- 
lough,  Co.  Down,  Ireland,  in  which  he  found  upward  of  fifty 
small  crabs,  and  other  testaceous  and  crustaceous  animals. 
The  Cod  fisheries  find  employment  for  a  large  number  of  peo- 
ple and  are  a  great  source  of  profit.  The  flesh  is  highly  valued 
as  an  article  of  diet,  and  the  liver  for  the  properties  of  the  oil 
which  it  produces,  while  other  parts  are  used  for  various  pur- 
poses. 

The  Salmon.  In  the  Fourth  order  of  Dr.  Giinther's  classifica- 
tion we  find  the  Salmon,  the  Trout,  the  Pike,  the  Flying  Fish, 
the  Carp,  the  Roach,  the  Chub,  the  Herring,  the  Sardine,  the 
Anchovy,  the  Gymnotus  and  the  Eel,  besides  other  fish.  Of 
these  the  Salmon  takes  easy  precedence.  Izaak  Walton  called 
it  "  the  King  of  fresh-water  fish,"  and  many  have  accorded  it 
the  first  place  among  its  kind  for  the  delicacy  of  its  flavour.  It 
is  of  migratory  habits,  leaving  the  sea  in  the  autumn  and  as- 
cending rivers  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  its  spawn,  and  re- 
turning to  the  sea  in  the  spring.  In  seeking  suitable  places 
for  its  purpose  the  salmon  brooks  no  obstacle,  leaping  with 
great  vigour  the  rapids  and  falls  that  impede  its  course  even 
though  they  may  sometimes  exceed  eight  or  ten  feet  in  height. 
Curving  the  body  until  it  forms  a  circular  spring,  it  strikes  the 
water  with  great  force,  throwing  itself  forward  and  thus  lifting 
itself  over  rocks  and  weirs.  In  the  shallow  gravelly  pools  which 
they  find  towards  the  source  of  rivers,  Salmon  form  hollows  in 
which  they  spawn,  covering  it  up  with  the  loose  sand  they  ex- 
cavate in  the  process.  The  eggs  deposited  in  the  later  months 
of  the  autumn  are  hatched  in  the  earlier  months  of  Spring  and 
by  the  end  of  May  the  whole  of  the  young  fish  have  followed 
their  parents  to  the  sea. 

The  Pike.         The    Pike, — fierce,    strong,    and   voracious, — 
holds  his  own  in  the  rivers  of  both  the  old  and  the  new  Worlds. 


THE   SALMON.  359 

It  has  been  known  to  attack  a  man  when  its  retreat  has  been 
cut  off  ;  to  bite  the  legs  of  bathers,  and  to  snap  at  the  fingers 
of  persons  cooling  their  hands  in  the  water  ;  and  when  pressed 
with  hunger,  to  fight  an  otter  for  the  possession  of  a  carp, 
which  the  latter  had  caught.  Its  strength  and  endurance  have 
often  been  demonstrated  in  the  destruction  of  strong  tackle  and 
in  its  power  to  survive,  without  apparent  inconvenience  with 
hooks  and  wires  mingling  with  its  anatomy.  Captain  Brown 
gives  an  instance  of  a  pike  being  caught,  which  had  a  strong 
piece  of  twisted  wire  projecting  from  its  side.  It  was  in  excel- 
lent condition,  and  on  being  opened,  discovered  in  its  stomach 
a  double  eel  hook,  much  corroded,  and  attached  to  the  pro- 
truding wire.  Another  pike  when  caught,  in  the  river  Ouse, 
was  found  in  possession  of  a  watch  with  a  black  ribbon  and 
seals  attached  ;  property  which  it  was  afterwards  discovered  had 
belonged  to  a  gentleman's  servant  who  had  been  drowned. 
The  pike  has  often  been  caught  with  portions  of  tackle  broken 
from  the  line  in  former  engagements  hanging  from  the  mouth. 
Its  rapacity  is  extraordinary.  Eight- hundred  gudgeon  are  said 
to  have  been  consumed  in  three  weeks  by  eight  pike  of  not 
more  than  five  pounds  weight  each.  "  The  appetite  of  one 
of  my  pike,"  says  Mr.  Jesse,  "  was  almost  insatiable.  One 
morning  I  threw  to  him  one  after  the  other,  five  roach,  each 
about  four  inches  in  length.  He  swallowed  four  of  them,  and 
kept  the  fifth  in  his  mouth  for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
when  it  also  disappeared."  The  pike  attains  to  large  propor- 
tions and  to  a  great  age.  When  less  than  two  pounds  weight 
it  is  called  a  jack,  but  it  has  been  known  to  attain  to  sixty  or 
seventy  pounds  weight,  and  if  all  records  be  true,  to  more  than 
a  hundred  years  of  age.  Gesner  mentions  a  pike  caught  in 
standing  water  at  Heilbroon,  in  Suabia  in  1497  which  had  a 
ring  round  its  head  with  an  inscription  in  Greek  which  ran 
somewhat  as  follows  :  "  I  am  the  first  fish  that  was  launched 
into  this  pond,  and  was  thrown  in  by  Frederick  the  Second, 
emperor  of  the  Romans,  on  the  fifth  of  October,  1230."  If 


360  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

this  be  true,  the  pike  was  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  years 
old  at  the  time  of  its  capture,  when  it  is  said  to  have  weighed 
three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 

The  Herring.  Probably  no  living  thing  of  its  size  is  equal  to 
the  herring  in  its  value  to  man.  It  visits  the  northern  coasts  of 
England  and  Scotland  in  vast  shoals,  of  several  miles  in  extent, 
in  the  autumn  of  the  year,  heralded  by  sea  gulls  and  followed 
by  dog-fish,  both  of  whom  take  toll  as  it  proceeds.  The  an- 
nual produce  of  these  little  fish  is  beyond  all  calculation.  The 
Scotch  fisheries  are  credited  with  the  capture  of  over  four  hun- 
dred millions  a  year,  while  those  of  Norway  can  scarcely  be 
much  less  successful.  The  Swedish  fisheries  are  said  to  cap- 
ture nearly  double  that  number,  to  which  must  be  added  those 
taken  by  the  English,  Irish,  Dutch,  French,  and  German  fish- 
eries before  the  grand  total  can  be  reached.  The  enormous 
number  of  hands  employed  in  these  various  fisheries,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  capital  invested  in  them,  marks  them  out  as 
one  of  the  most  important  of  European  enterprises. 
The  Plying  The  Flying  fish  is  about  the  size  of  a  herring, 
Fish.  an(j  is  furnished  with  strong  pectoral  fins,  almost 
the  length  of  its  body,  by  which  it  is  able  to  spring  out  of  the 
water  and  sustain  itself  for  a  time  in  the  air.  It  has  apparently 
no  power  of  guiding  itself,  or  of  varying  its  altitude  while  in 
the  lighter  element,  both  the  height  and  the  course  of  its  flight 
being  determined  by  the  direction  and  the  force  of  its  spring. 
Its  ordinary  flight  is  about  three  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  and  of  no  very  great  distance  or  duration,  but  it  has 
been  known  to  fly  as  high  as  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet,  and  even 
higher,  and  a  distance  of  over  two  hundred  yards.  Flying 
fish  often  fall  upon  the  decks  of  ships,  where  they  are  wel- 
comed as  affording  a  pleasant  variety  to  the  sailors'  menu. 
They  frequent  warmer  latitudes,  but  are  sometimes  seen  off 
the  English  coast.  They  leave  the  sea  to  escape  the  larger 
fish  which  prey  upon  them,  only  too  often,  to  fall  a  prey  to 
the  fowls  of  the  air. 


Plate  No.  20 


MILES'    NATURAL   HISTORY. 


CTARR      YELLOW  PERC 


STRIPED  BASS. 


THE   EEL.  361 

The  Eel.  The  Eel  from  its  general  resemblance  to  the 
snake  is  not  usually  a  favourite  when  alive,  however  popular 
it  may  be  with  the  palate,  when  served  up  with  suitable  acces- 
sories at  table.  It  is  however  full  of  interest  as  a  study,  and 
shows  many  remarkable  characteristics  and  traits.  It  migrates 
from  the  river  to  the  sea  in  the  Autumn  to  produce  its  young, 
thus  reversing  the  order  of  procedure  of  the  salmon.  Mr. 
Jesse,  writing  of  these  migrations  as  observed  by  him  in  the 
Thames  many  years  ago,  says  :  "  An  annual  migration  of 
young  eels  takes  place  in  the  river  Thames  in  the  month  of 
May,  and  they  have  generally  made  their  appearance  at  King- 
ston, in  their  way  upwards,  about  the  second  week  in  that 
month.  These  young  eels  are  about  two  inches  in  length, 
and  they  make  their  approach  in  one  regular  and  undeviating 
column  of  about  five  inches  in  breadth,  and  as  thick  together 
as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be.  As  the  procession  generally 
lasts  two  or  three  days,  and  as  they  appear  to  move  at  the  rate 
of  nearly  two  miles  and  a  half  an  hour,  some  idea  may  be 
formed  of  their  enormous  number.  Sir  Humphry  Davy 
says,  in  his  "Salmonia, " — "There  are  two  migrations  of 
eels,  one  from  and  the  other  to  the  sea  ;  the  first  in  spring  and 
summer,  and  the  second  in  autumn,  or  early  in  winter.  The 
first  of  very  small  eels,  which  are  sometimes  not  more  than  two 
and  a  half  inches  long  ;  the  second  of  large  eels,  which  some- 
times are  three  or  four  feet  long,  and  weigh  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  pounds.  There  is  great  reason  to  believe,  that  all  eels 
found  in  fresh  water  are  the  results  of  the  first  migration  ;  they 
appear  in  millions  in  April  and  May,  and  sometimes  continue 
to  rise  as  late  as  July,  and  the  beginning  of  August.  They 
(eed,  grow,  and  fatten  in  fresh  water.  In  small  rivers,  they 
are  seldom  very  large  ;  but,  in  large  deep  lakes,  they  become 
as  thick  as  a  man's  arm,  or  even  leg  ;  and  all  those  of  a  con- 
siderable size  attempt  to  return  to  the  sea  in  October  or  Novem- 
ber, probably  when  they  experience  the  cold  of  the  first  au- 
tumnal rains."  Mr.  St.  John  thus  describes  some  young 


362  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

Eels  which  he  saw  ascending  the  river  Findhorn  :  "  When 
they  came  to  a  fall,  which  they  could  not  possibly  ascend, 
they  wriggled  out  of  the  water,  and  gliding  along  the  rock, 
close  to  the  edge,  where  the  stone  was  constantly  wet  from  the 
splashing  and  spray  of  the  fall,  they  made  their  way  up  till 
they  got  above  the  difficulty,  and  then  again  slipping  into  the 
water,  continued  their  course."  The  eel  is  voracious,  and 
will  leave  the  water  in  search  of  frogs  and  other  food.  It 
will  attack,  and  appropriate,  young  ducks,  and  one  is  said  to 
have  been  caught  near  Bootle  with  two  rats  in  its  stomach. 
The  Conger  Eel  grows  to  a  great  size  and  attains  great  weight. 
It  is  said  sometimes  to  measure  eight  or  even  ten  feet,  and  to 
weigh  a  hundred  pounds  or  even  more.  It  is  plentiful  in  the 
English  Channel,  and  on  the  coast  of  Cornwall. 

The  The  Gymnotus  is  the  famous  electric  eel,  and 

Gymnotus.  ]jke  the  Torpedo  of  the  English  Channel  and  the 
Mediterranean,  has  the  ability  of  communicating  a  powerful 
electric  shock.  It  belongs  to  the  Amazon  and  other  South 
American  rivers,  and  their  tributaries,  and  is  well  known  to 
American  Indians.  Humboldt  describes  the  shock  produced 
by  this  creature,  as  exceeding  in  strength  that  of  a  large  Leyden 
jar.  Having  imprudently  placed  his  foot  on  one  just  taken 
from  the  water  he  received  such  a  shock  that  he  says,  "  I  was 
affected  the  rest  of  the  day  with  violent  pains  in  the  knees,  and 
in  almost  every  joint." 
Catching  the  The  following  vivid  description  of  a  Gymnotus 

Gymnotus.  hunt  is  given  by  Humboldt :  "  We  at  first  wished 
to  make  our  experiments  in  the  house  we  inhabited  at  Cala- 
bozo  ;  but  the  dread  of  the  electrical  shocks  of  the  gymnoti  is 
so  exaggerated  among  the  vulgar,  that  during  three  days  we 
could  not  obtain  one,  though  they  are  easily  caught,  and 
though  we  had  promised  the  Indians  two  piastres  for  every 
strong  and  vigorous  fish. 

"  Impatient  of  waiting,  and  having  obtained  very  uncertain 
results  from  an  electrical  eel  that  had   been  brought  to  us 


CATCHING   THE   GYMNOTUS.  363 

alive,  but  much  enfeebled,  we  repaired  to  the  Cano  de  Bera, 
to  make  our  experiments  in  the  open  air,  on  the  borders  of  the 
water  itself.  We  set  off  on  the  iQth  of  March  for  the  village 
of  Rastro  de  Abaxo,  thence  we  were  conducted  to  a  stream, 
which,  in  the  time  of  drought,  forms  a  basin  of  muddy  water, 
surrounded  by  fine  trees.  To  catch  the  gymnoti  with  nets  is 
very  difficult,  on  account  of  the  extreme  agility  of  the  fish, 
which  bury  themselves  in  the  mud  like  serpents.  We  would 
not  employ  the  barbasco,  that  is  to  say,  the  roots  of  Piscidea 
erythrina  and  Jacquinia  armillaris,  which,  when  thrown  into 
the  pool,  intoxicate  or  benumb  these  animals.  These  means 
would  have  enfeebled  the  gymnoti  ;  the  Indians  therefore  told 
us,  that  they  would  '  fish  with  horses. '  We  found  it  difficult 
to  form  an  idea  of  this  extraordinary  manner  of  fishing  ;  but 
we  soon  saw  our  guides  return  from  the  Savannah,  which  they 
had  been  scouring  for  wild  horses  and  mules.  They  brought 
about  thirty  with  them,  which  they  forced  to  enter  the  pool. 

"  The  extraordinary  noise  caused  by  the  horses'  hoofs  makes 
the  fish  issue  from  the  mud,  and  excites  them  to  combat. 
These  yellowish  and  livid  eels  resemble  large  aquatic  serpents, 
swim  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  crowd  under  the  bellies 
of  the  horses  and  mules.  A  contest  between  animals  of  so 
different  an  organization  furnishes  a  very  striking  spectacle. 
The  Indians,  provided  with  harpoons  and  long  slender  reeds, 
surround  the  pool  closely  ;  and  some  climb  upon  the  trees, 
the  branches  of  which  extend  horizontally  over  the  surface  of 
the  water.  By  their  wild  cries,  and  the  length  of  their  reeds, 
they  prevent  the  horses  from  running  away  and  reaching  the 
bank  of  the  pool.  The  eels,  stunned  by  the  noise,  defend 
themselves  by  the  repeated  discharge  of  their  electric  batteries. 
During  a  long  time  they  seem  to  prove  victorious.  Several 
horses  sink  beneath  the  violence  of  the  invisible  strokes  which 
they  receive  from  all  sides,  in  organs  the  most  essential  to  life  ; 
and  stunned  by  the  force  and  frequency  of  the  shocks,  dis- 
appear under  the  water.  Others,  panting,  with  their  mane 


364  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

standing  erect,  and  wild  looks,  expressing  anguish,  raise  them- 
selves and  endeavour  to  flee  from  the  storms  by  which  they 
are  overtaken.  They  are  driven  back  by  the  Indians  into  the 
middle  of  the  water  ;  but  a  small  number  succeeds  in  eluding 
the  active  vigilance  of  the  fishermen.  These  regain  the  shore, 
stumbling  at  every  step,  and  stretch  themselves  on  the  sand, 
exhausted  with  fatigue,  and  their  limbs  benumbed  by  the 
electric  shock  of  the  gymnoti. 

"  In  less  than  five  minutes  two  horses  were  drowned.  The 
eel,  being  five  feet  long,  and  pressing  itself  against  the  belly 
of  the  horses,  makes  a  discharge  along  the  whole  extent  of  its 
electric  organs.  It  attacks  at  once  the  heart,  the  intestines, 
and  the  plexus  cceliacus  of  the  abdominal  nerves.  It  is  nat- 
ural, that  the  effect  felt  by  the  horses  should  be  more  powerful 
than  that  produced  upon  men  by  the  touch  of  the  same  fish  at 
any  one  of  his  extremities.  The  horses  are  probably  not 
killed,  but  only  stunned.  They  are  drowned  from  the  impos- 
sibility of  rising  from  amid  the  prolonged  struggle  between  the 
other  horses  and  the  eels. 

"  We  had  little  doubt,  that  the  fishing  would  terminate  by 
killing  successively  all  the  animals  engaged  ;  but  by  degrees 
the  impetuosity  of  this  unequal  combat  diminished,  and  the 
wearied  gymnoti  dispersed.  They  require  a  long  rest,  and 
abundant  nourishment,  to  repair  what  they  have  lost  of  gal- 
vanic force.  The  mules  and  horses  appear  less  frightened  ; 
their  manes  are  no  longer  bristled,  and  their  eyes  express  less 
dread.  The  Indians  assured  us,  that  when  the  horses  are 
made  to  run  two  days  successively  into  the  same  pool,  none 
are  killed  the  second  day.  The  gymnoti  approach  timidly  the 
edge  of  the  marsh,  when  they  are  taken  by  means  of  small 
harpoons  fastened  to  long  cords.  When  the  cords  are  very 
dry,  the  Indians  feel  no  shock  in  raising  the  fish  into  the  air. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  observed  five  eels,  the  greater  part  of 
which  were  but  slightly  wounded.  Some  were  taken  by  the 
same  means  towards  the  evening. 


CATCHING  THE   GYMNOTUS.  365 

"  The  temperature  of  the  water  in  which  the  gymnoti  ha- 
bitually live  is  about  86  degrees  of  Fahrenheit.  Their  electric 
force,  it  is  said,  diminishes  in  colder  waters.  The  gymnotus 
is  the  largest  of  electrical  fishes.  I  measured  some  that  were 
from  four  feet  to  five  feet  three  inches  long  ;  and  the  Indians 
assert,  that  they  have  seen  them  still  larger.  We  found  that  a 
fish  of  three  feet  ten  inches  long  weighed  twelve  pounds.  The 
transverse  diameter  of  the  body  was  three  inches  five  lines. 
The  gymnoti  of  Cano  de  Sera  are  of  a  fine  olive-green  colour. 
The  under  part  of  the  head  is  yellow,  mingled  with  red.  Two 
rows  of  small  yellow  spots  are  placed  symmetrically  along  the 
back,  from  the  head  to  the  end  of  the  tail.  Every  spot  con- 
tains an  excretory  aperture.  In  consequence  the  skin  of  the 
animal  is  constantly  covered  with  a  mucous  matter,  which,  as 
Volta  has  proved,  conducts  electricity  twenty  or  thirty  times 
better  than  pure  water.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  no 
electrical  fish  yet  discovered  in  the  different  parts  of  the  world, 
is  covered  with  scales. 

' '  It  would  be  rashness  to  expose  ourselves  to  the  first  shocks 
of  a  very  large  and  strongly  irritated  gymnotus.  If  by  chance 
you  receive  a  stroke  before  the  fish  is  wounded,  or  wearied  by 
a  long  pursuit,  the  pain  and  numbness  are  so  violent,  that  it 
is  impossible  to  describe  the  nature  of  the  feeling  they  excite. 
I  do  not  remember  having  ever  received  from  the  discharge  of 
a  large  Leyden  jar,  a  more  dreadful  shock  than  that  which  I 
experienced  by  imprudently  placing  both  my  feet  on  a  gym- 
notus just  taken  out  of  the  water." 

The  Torpedo.  It  would  be  difficult  to  name  two  fish  more 
dissimilar  in  outward  appearance  than  the  Gymnotus  and  the 
Torpedo,  and  yet  they  enjoy  in  common  the  unique  power  of 
communicating  electric  shocks.  The  Gymnotus  is  a  long  eel- 
like  fish,  the  Torpedo  is  round  and  flat.  The  Torpedo  be- 
longs to  the  family  of  the  Rays,  and  sometimes  reaches  a  large 
size.  It  is  common  in  the  Mediterranean  and  is  sometimes 
found  on  the  southern  coasts  of  the  British  Isles. 


366  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

"  Although  it  has  once  or  twice  been  caught  on  our  coasts, " 
says  Mr.  Wood,  "it  is  usually  found  in  the  Mediterranean, 
where  its  powers  are  well  known,  and  held  in  some  awe. 
The  shock  that  the  Torpedo  gives,  of  course,  varies  according 
to  the  size  of  the  fish  and  its  state  of  health,  but  a  tolerably 
large  fish  in  good  health  can,  for  the  time,  disable  a  strong 
man.  From  the  effects  of  its  shock,  it  is  in  some  parts  called 
the  Cramp-fish.  It  has  been  known  to  weigh  from  seventy  to 
a  hundred  pounds." 

The  Shark.  The  Shark,  whose  name  instinctively  suggests 
a  shudder,  is  the  largest  of  the  fishes  and  one  of  the  largest  of 
marine  animals.  There  are  many  varieties,  and  they  are  found 
in  all  seas  ;  some  measuring  no  more  than  a  few  feet,  others 
attaining  to  very  large  proportions.  The  Blue  Shark  of  the 
Mediterranean  which  measures  about  eleven  feet  sometimes 
approaches  the  south  coast  of  England  and  Ireland,  as  does 
the  Hammer-headed  Shark  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Indian 
Ocean,  a  shark  of  twelve  -feet  in  length.  The  Tope  a  smaller 
variety  is  often  seen  in  the  English  Channel,  as  are  also  several 
others  of  the  smaller  Sharks.  The  Great  Basking  Shark  which 
often  measures  thirty  feet  in  the  length  is  the  largest  of  those 
which  visit  the  English  coast,  but  like  the  largest  of  all  the 
sharks  (Rhinodon  Typicus)  which  sometimes  exceeds  fifty  feet 
in  length  is  herbivorous,  and  therefore  not  bloodthirsty. 
The  "White  The  Shark  known  to  sailors  as  the  White  Shark 

Shark.  js  a  fierce  and  sanguinary  creature.  It  frequents 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  where  it  follows 
ships  for  days  for  the  sake  of  the  refuse,  which  is  thrown  over- 
board. This  creature  has  been  known  to  swallow  a  man  en- 
tire, and  commonly  to  devour  one  in  two  or  three  portions. 
Sailors  get  no  mercy  from  the  shark  and  consequently  show 
him  none.  There  is  a  story  told  of  a  negro  cook  who  seeing 
a  shark  follow  in  the  wake  of  a  ship  made  a  brick  hot  in  the 
stove,  and  then  threw  it  to  the  monster  who  probably  never 
had  a  warmer  or  more  indigestible  meal.  This  shark  suffered 


THE   WHITE   SHARK.  367 

great  agony  if  its  contortions  may  be  taken  as  evidence,  and, 
after  exhausting  itself  with  its  fury,  allowed  itself  to  drift  away 
with  the  tide.  Expert  swimmers,  armed  with  long  sharp 
knives,  have  sometimes  engaged  the  shark  single-handed,  diving 
underneath  it,  and  stabbing  it  before  it  discovered  their  where- 
abouts. The  Negroes  of  the  West  Indies  are  credited  with 
this  hardihood,  and  are  said  to  be  frequently  successful. 
Sharks  in  "The  amphibious  South  Sea  Islanders,"  says 
the  South.  Mr.  Wood,  "  stand  in  great  dread  of  the  Shark, 
and  with  good  reason,  for  not  a  year  elapses  with- 
out several  victims  falling  to  the  rapacity  of  this  terrific  animal. 
Nearly  thirty  of  the  natives  of  the  Society  Islands  were  de- 
stroyed at  one  time  by  the  sharks.  A  storm  had  so  injured 
the  canoe  in  which  they  were  passing  from  one  island  to  an- 
other, that  they  were  forced  to  take  refuge  on  a  raft  hastily 
formed  of  the  fragments  of  their  canoe.  Their  weight  sunk 
the  raft  a  foot  or  two  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  and, 
dreadful  to  say,  the  sharks  surrounded  them  and  dragged 
them  off  the  raft  one  by  one,  until  the  lightened  raft  rose 
above  the  water  and  preserved  the  few  survivors."  Mrs. 
Bowdich,  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  tragic  circumstances 
she  describes,  says  : — "  Sharks  abounded  at  Cape  Coast,  and 
one  day,  as  I  stood  at  a  window  commanding  a  view  of  the 
sea,  I  saw  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  bathing,  and 
the  sharks  hastening  to  seize  upon  them, — they  being  visible 
from  always  swimming  with  part  of  their  dorsal  fin  out  of 
water.  I  sent  to  warn  the  men  of  their  danger,  and  all  came 
ashore  except  one,  who  laughed  at  the  caution  of  his  compan- 
ions. A  huge  shark  was  rapidly  approaching,  and  I  sent  my 
servant  again,  and  this  time  armed  with  half  a  bottle  of  rum, 
to  bribe  the  man  to  save  himself.  It  was  too  late,  the  mur- 
derous creature  had  seized  him,  and  the  water  around  was  dyed 
with  his  blood.  A  canoe  was  dispatched  to  bring  him  ashore, 
but  a  wave  threw  him  on  to  the  beach  ;  and  it  was  found  that 
the  shark  had  taken  the  thigh  bone  completely  out  of  the 


368  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

socket  The  man,  of  course,  expired  in  a  very  few  minutes. 
Accidents  were  often  happening,  and  always  fatal,  and  yet  the 
negroes,  who  seldom  think  beyond  the  present  moment,  could 
not  be  dissuaded  from  bathing.  A  man  walking  in  the  sea, 
up  to  his  knees,  was  dragged  away  by  one,  almost  before  my 
eyes." 

The  Bays.  The  Rays  are  large  flat  fish  of  which  there  are 
numerous  species,  the  Thornback  and  the  Common  Skate 
being  the  best  known.  They  have  large  pectoral  fins,  and 
some  species  grow  to  an  enormous  size.  The  Skate  has  been 
known  to  measure  six  or  seven  feet.  Other  species  are  the 
Homelyn  Ray  and  the  Sandy  Ray,  which  like  the  Thornback 
and  the  Skate  are  found  in  British  waters.  The  Sting  Ray 
and  the  Eagle  Ray  cover  wider  areas  and  grow  to  a  gigantic 
size  in  tropic  seas.  It  is  a  large  species  of  the  Eagle  Ray  that 
is  known  as  the  Sea  Devil  of  the  tropics.  These  fish,  though 
very  large,  display  no  great  antipathy  to  man,  though  from 
their  enormous  size  and  strength  they  are  a  source  of  danger 
to  small  craft.  Mr.  Swinburne  Ward  in  a  letter  to  Colonel 
Playfair,  quoted  in  Dr.  Percival  Wright's  concise  "  Natural 
History,"  thus  describes  the  capture  of  one  of  these  monsters 
off  the  Seychelles. 

"  Coming  home  we  passed  close  to  an  enormous  '  diabla 
de-mer  '  floating  quietly  about.  We  changed  from  the  pirogue 
to  the  whale-boat,  which  I  had  scientifically  fitted  up  for  the 
gros  poissons,  and  went  alongside  of  him,  driving  a  regular 
whale  harpoon  right  through  his  body.  The  way  he  towed 
the  water  was  beautiful,  but  we  would  not  give  him  an  inch  of 
line  and  he  also  had  to  succumb  to  a  lather  protracted  lancing. 
His  size  will  give  you  an  idea  of  his  strength  in  the  water — • 
forty-two  feet  in  circumference  !  We  got.  him  a  wash  on  the 
beach,  but  the  united  strength  of  ten  men  could  not  get  him 
an  inch  further,  so  we  were  obliged  to  leave  him  there.  By 
this  time  the  sharks  will  not  have  left  much  of  him  ;  they 
have  not  had  such  a  meal  as  that  for  a  long  time.  The  fisher- 


THE   RAYS.  369 

men  say  that  when  alive  the  sharks  do  not  molest  the  '  diable- 
de-mer, '  whose  offensive  weapons  consist  of  those  enormous 
flexible  sides  (one  can  hardly  call  them  fins)  with  which  they 
can  beat  almost  any  shark  to  death.  As  a  rule  when  har- 
pooned, they  endeavour,  like  other  rays,  to  bury  themselves 
in  the  sand,  and  if  they  succeed  in  doing  this,  no  line  can  ever 
haul  them  out  of  it — their  flat  bodies  act  on  the  principle  of 
an  enormous  sucker.  Another  curious  fact  about  them  is  that 
when  harpooned  they  swim  sideways,  edge  on,  in  order  to 
avoid  exposing  too  broad  a  surface  to  their  enemy.  They 
never  do  this  unless  harpooned." 

Bay  Catching.  Lieutenant  Lament  gave  the  following  graphic 
description  of  a  Ray  fishing  expedition  in  which  he  took  part 
near  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  in  1824  to  Professor  Jameson. 

"  The  first  appearance  of  an  animal  of  this  species,  since  I 
have  been  here  (about  eighteen  months),  was  about  two 
months  ago,  when  I  was  called  out  to  the  beach  by  some  of 
the  inhabitants,  whom  I  found,  on  going  there,  to  be  assem- 
bled in  great  numbers,  to  see  what  they  called  the  Sea  Devil. 
I  confess  my  curiosity  was  not  less  excited  than  theirs,  when 
I  saw  floating  close  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  about  twenty 
yards  from  me,  a  large  mass  of  living  substance  of  a  dark 
colour,  but  of  the  shape  and  size  of  which  I  could  not,  at  the 
time,  form  any  proper  idea,  it  being  so  very  different  from 
what  I  had  ever  before  seen  or  heard  of,  farther  than  that  I 
supposed  it  to  have  been  many  times  the  size  of  what  I  now 
believe  it  was.  No  time  was  lost  in  setting  out  in  pursuit  cf 
him,  with  harpoons,  &c. ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was 
come  up  with,  and  struck  with  one  of  the  harpoons,  when  he 
made  off  with  great  velocity,  towing  the  boat  after  him.  As 
he  seemed  to  incline  chiefly  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  six  or 
seven  more  harpoons  were  (with  the  assistance  of  several  canoes 
that  had  come  up)  successively  plunged  into  him,  and  all  the 
boats  made  fast  to  each  other,  which  he  was  obliged  to  pull 
after  him,  with  several  people  in  each.  Such,  however,  was 

24 


370  NATURAL   HISTORY   IN   ANECDOTE. 

the  great  strength  of  the  animal,  that,  after  being  fast  in  the 
manner  I  have  described,  for  upwards  of  lour  hours,  and  taking 
the  boats  out  to  sea  attached  to  him  to  a  distance  of  about  ten 
miles  from  the  harbour,  and  having  been  pierced  with  so  many 
wounds,  he  was  still  able  to  defy  every  effort  to  bring  him  in. 
It  had  now  got  late,  and  was  dark,  and  an  attempt  was  made 
to  force  him  up  near  enough  to  get  another  large  harpoon  into 
him  ;  this  was  no  sooner  done,  than  he  darted  off ;  and  by  an 
almost  unaccountable  and  seemingly  convulsive  effort,  in  a 
moment  broke  loose  from  all  fetters,  carrying  away  with  him 
eight  or  ten  harpoons  and  pikes,  and  leaving  every  one  staring 
at  his  neighbour  in  speechless  astonishment,  confounded  at 
the  power  of  the  animal  which  could  thus  snatch  himself  from 
them  at  a  time  when  they  conceived  him  almost  completely  in 
their  power. 

"  Since  then  some  of  these  animals  have  occasionally  been 
heard  of  at  a  distance  from  the  harbour  ;  and  a  few  days  ago, 
in  coming  over  from  Fort  Augusta  with  another  gentleman,, 
we  fell  in  with  one  of  them,  which  allowed  us  to  get  so  near 
him,  that  it  was  determined  to  set  out  the  next  morning  to 
look  for  him.  We  did  so  ;  and  took  with  us  several  large 
harpoons,  muskets,  pikes,  &c.,  determined,  if  it  were  possible, 
to  bring  him  in.  He  was  described  about  eight  o'clock  near 
Greenwich,  towards  the  top  of  the  harbour,  as  usual  floating 
near  the  surface,  and  moving  slowly  about.  Having  allowed 
the  boat  to  get  very  close  to  him,  he  was  struck  with  a  har- 
poon, which  was  thrown  at  him  in  a  most  dexterous  manner 
by  Lieutenant  St  John,  of  the  royal  artillery.  He  immediately 
set  out  towards  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  towing  the  boat 
after  him  with  such  velocity,  that  it  could  not  be  overtaken  by 
any  of  the  others.  After  going  on  this  way  for  near  an  hour 
he  turned  back,  which  enabled  the  other  boats  to  lay  hold  ; 
and  four  of  them  were  tied,  one  after  the  other,  to  the  one  in 
which  he  was  harpooned,  with  four  or  five  people  in  each  of 
them.  By  this  means  we  hoped  to  tire  him  out  the  sooner. 


RAY   CATCHING.  371 

In  about  an  hour  and  a  half  after  he  was  first  struck,  a  favour- 
able opportunity  offering,  a  large  five-pointed  harpoon,  made 
fast  to  a  very  heavy  staff,  was  thrown  at  him  with  such  an  ele- 
vation, that  it  should  fall  upon  him  with  the  whole  weight  of 
the  weapon — this  having  been  as  well  directed  as  the  first,  was 
lodged  nearly  in  the  middle  of  his  back.  The  struggle  he 
made  at  this  time  to  get  away  was  truly  tremendous, — plung- 
ing in  the  midst  of  the  boats, — darting  from  the  bottom  to  the 
surface  alternately, — dashing  the  water  and  foam  on  every  side 
of  him, — and  rolling  round  and  round  to  extricate  himself 
from  the  pole.  This  might  be  considered  as  having  given 
him  the  coup  de  grace,  although,  at  short  intervals  afterwards, 
he  was  struck  with  two  more  harpoons,  and  several  musket 
balls  were  fired  into  him.  Still  he  was  able  to  set  out  again, 
taking  the  four  boats  after  him,  which  he  carried  along  with 
the  greatest  ease.  Having  gone  in  this  way  for  some  time  he 
came  to  a  stop,  and  laid  himself  to  the  bottom,  when,  with 
all  the  lines  that  were  attached  to  him,  it  was  quite  impossible 
to  move  him.  All  expedients  were  nearly  beginning  to  fail, 
when  it  was  proposed  to  slacken  the  lines,  which  being  done 
had  the  desired  effect,  and  he  again  set  out.  Having  thus  got 
him  from  the  ground,  inch  by  inch  was  gained  upon  him,  till 
he  was  got  near  the  surface,  when  he  was  struck  with  two  large 
pikes.  He  now  got  rather  faint ;  and  the  boats  closing  on 
him  on  every  side,  the  combat  became  general  with  pikes, 
muskets,  and  every  weapon  we  had.  In  fact,  to  such  a  pitch 
were  all  excited  on  the  occasion,  that,  had  a  cool  spectator 
seen  the  affray,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  imagined  that  it 
was  his  sable  majesty  himself  that  we  had  got  amongst  us.  He 
was  now  towed  ashore,  being  about  five  hours  since  he  was 
first  struck.  This  it  required  all  the  boats  to  do,  and  then 
but  very  slowly.  His  appearance  now  showed  the  extraordi- 
nary tenacity  of  life  of  which  this  animal  must  be  possessed, 
as  his  whole  body  was  literally  a  heap  of  wounds,  many  of 
which  were  through  and  through,  and  he  was  not  yet  quite 


3/2  NATURAL   HISTORY  IN  ANECDOTE. 

dead.  This  circumstance,  with  his  great  strength,  is  the  cause 
of  the  name  which  has  been  given  him  by  the  fishermen  here, 
as  they  have  never  been  able  to  succeed  in  taking  one  of  them, 
and  were  firmly  of  opinion  it  was  impossible  to  do  so. 

"  On  measurement,  it  was  found  to  be  in  length  and  breadth 
much  the  same,  about  fifteen  feet,  and  in  depth  from  three  to 
four  feet.  It  had  the  appearance  of  having  no  head,  as  there 
was  no  prominence  at  its  mouth  ;  on  the  contrary,  its  exterior 
margin  formed,  as  it  were,  the  segment  of  a  circle,  with  its  arc 
towards  the  animal's  body,  and  opening  into  a  large  cavity  of 
about  two  feet  and  a  half  in  width,  without  teeth,  into  which  a 
man  went  with  so  much  ease,  that  I  do  not  exaggerate  when 
I  say,  that  another  might  have  done  so  at  the  same  time.  On 
each  side  of  the  mouth  projected  a  mass  of  cartilaginous  sub- 
stance like  horns,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and  capable  of 
meeting  before  the  mouth.-  These  feelers  moved  about  a  great 
deal  in  swimming,  and  are  probably  of  use  in  feeding.  On 
looking  on  this  animal  as  it  lay  on  the  ground  with  its  back 
upwards,  it  might  be  said  to  be  nearly  equal  in  dimensions  on 
every  side,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  lateral  extremities, 
extending  to  a  point  about  four  feet  from  the  body,  and  a  tail 
about  five  feet  long,  four  and  a  half  inches  diameter  at  the 
root,  and  tapering  to  a  point.  Above  the  root  of  the  tail  was 
the  dorsal  fin,  and  on  each  side  of  it  a  flat  and  flabby  substance 
close  to  the  body,  of  the  appearance  of  fins.  There  were  no 
other  distinct  fins,  and  its  sole  propelling  power  seemed  to  be 
its  two  lateral  extremities,  which  became  very  flat  and  thin 
towards  the  point.  As  it  shows  these  much  in  swimming,  it 
gives  a  spectator  an  extraordinary  idea  of  its  size,  as,  to  him 
imperfectly  seen,  the  conclusion  naturally  is,  if  the  breadth  is 
so  great,  how  much  greater  must  the  length  be.  This  animal 
was  a  female,  and  was  viviparous.  On  opening  it,  a  young 
one,  about  twenty  pounds  weight,  was  taken  out,  perfectly 
formed,  and  which  had  been  preserved.  Wishing  to  know 
what  it  fed  upon,  I  saw  the  stomach  opened,  which  was  round, 


RAY   CATCHING.  3/3 

about  eight  inches  in  diameter,  and  quite  empty.  It  was 
closely  studded  over  with  circular  spots  of  a  muscular  sub- 
stance. Under  the  stomach  was  a  long  bag,  with  transverse 
muscular  layers  from  end  to  end,  and  which  contained  noth- 
ing but  some  slime  and  gravel.  This  muscular  appearance  of 
the  digestive  organs  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  it  fed  upon 
other  fish,  as  is  the  general  opinion  here,  though  its  having  no 
teeth  does  not  support  that  idea.  Its  weight  was  so  great  that 
it  was  impossible  to  ascertain  it  at  the  time  ;  but  some  idea 
may  be  formed  of  it  when  I  assure  you  that  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  forty  men,  with  two  lines  attached  to  it,  could  drag 
it  along  the  ground.  Its  bones  were  soft,  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  jaw-bones,  could  be  cut  with  a  knife.  One 
ridge  of  bone  ran  from  the  mouth  to  the  middle  of  the  back, 
where  it  was  met  by  another  running  transversely,  from  the  ex- 
tremities of  which  there  were  two  larger  ones  converging  towards 
the  tail." 


INDEX. 


Aardwolf,  80 

Accentor  modularis,  285 

Accipitres,  250 

Addax,  216 

Aelurus  fulgens,  145 

African  mouse,  227 

"        owl  [pigeon],  294 

Agouti,  240 

Aguara,  93,  94 

Albatross,  316,  324 

Alcephalince,  207 

Alligator,  334,  335—337 

Alpaca,  198 

American  blackbird,  253 
"        bull  frog,  352 

horned  owl,  313 
"        house  wren,  257 
"        leopard,  64—67 
"        lion,  43,  67 — 69 
"         monkey,  30 — 32 
"         sable,  140 
"        vulture,  308 

Anchovy,  358 

Angola  or  Angora  cat,  71 

Anomalure,  237,  240 

Anseres,  250 

Ant-eater,  245,  247 

"          [bird],  250,  282 

Ant-thrush,  283 

Antelope,  206,  216 

Antilocaprinae,  207 


Anubis,  20 
Anura,  350 
Ape,  3,  18,  29 
Apteryx,  330 
Arabian  baboon,  20 

"        horse,  163 — 166 
Arctic  fox,  86,  93 
Argus  pheasant,  299 
Armadillo,  245,  246 
Artiodactyla,  162,  188 
Ass,  162,  178—183 
Ateles,  30 

Australian  hedgehog,  249 
Aye-aye,  33,  34 


Babiroussa,  192 
Baboon,  15,  19 — 25 
Babouin,  20 
Bactrian  camel,  193 
Badger,  140,  142 
Bald  eagle,  306 
Balearic  crane,  314 
Bandicoot,  247 
Barb  [pigeon],  294 
Barbary  ape,  25 
Barbel  [sporting  dog],  95 
Barn  owl,  313 
Bat,  34—39 
Bay  antelope,  216 
Beagle,  95,  129 
Bear,  43,  145 — 151 


.[375] 


376 


INDEX. 


Bearded  saki,  31 
Beaver,  226,  234 — 237 

"      rat,  227 
Bell  bird,  251,  283 
Beluga  catodon,  160 
"  Billybiter,"  261 
Bird  of  Paradise,  251,  271 — 273 
Bison,  162,  207,  211,  2iz 
Bittern,  315 
Black  bear,  146,  147 — 149 

"     grouse,  297 

"     howler,  31 

"     rat,  227 

"     snake,  342 

"     swan,  320 

"     vulture,  309 
Black-necked  swan,  320 
Blackbird,  250,  252 
Bladder-nose  hooded  seal,  155 
Blenheim  spaniel,  134,  135 
Blood-hound,  95,  125 — 127 
Blue  jay,  263 

"    shark,  366 

"    titmouse,  261 
Boa  constrictor,  340,  346 — 349 
Boar,  162,  190 
Bobak,  240 
Bonnet  monkey,  25 
Borele,  184,  186 
Bosch-bok,  216 
Bovidce,  206 
Bovintz,  207 
Brahmin  bull,  209 
Brazilian  porcupine,  241 
Brill,  357 
Brood  bill,  283 
Brown  bear,  146,  151 

"       capuchin,  30 

"  rat,  227 
Budorcina,  207 
Buffalo,  207,  213 — 216 


Bull,  207,  208,  209 

"     frog,  352 

"    terrier,  136 
Bull-dog,  95,  138 
Bullfinch,  251 
Bunting,  251,  277 
Bustard,  314 
"  Butcherbird,"  262 
Buzzard,  304,  311 

O. 

CcEcilia,  350 
Camel,  192 — 197 
Camelopardalis  giraffa,  205 
Canadian  porcupine,  141 
Canary,  251,  276,  277 
Canis  anglicus,  138 

"     amcularis,  130 

"     domesticus,  114 

"     index,  132 

"     sanguinarius,  125 

"     scoticus,  123 
Canvas-back  duck,  319 
Cape  ant  bear,  245,  246 

"     buffalo,  214,  215 

"     penguin,  326 
Caprince,  207 
Capuchin,  30 
Capybara,  241 
Caribou,  201 — 204 
Carnivora,  43 
Carp,  358 

Carrier  pigeon,  294,  295 
Carrion  crow,  251,  270 
Cashmir  goat,  217 
Cassowary,  328,  329 
Castor  americanus,  235 

"      gallicus,  235 
Cat,  43,  44,  71—76,  337 
Catamountain,  43 
Cavia  aperea,  241 


INDEX. 


377 


Cavia  cob  ay  a,  241 
Cavy,  240 
Cayman,  336 
Cebidce,  3,  30—32 
Cephalophinee,  207 
Cercoleptes  caudivolvulus,  145 
Cervicaprinez,  207 
Cervus,  199 

"         elaphus,  199 
Chackma,  20,  21 
Chaffinch,  275 
Chameleon,  337,  338 
Chamois,  216 
Chatterer,  251,  282 
Cheek-pouched  monkey,  19 
Cheiromyidce,  33 
Cheiramys  madagascariensis,  33 
Cheiroptera,  34 
Chelonia  imbricata,  333 
Chetah,  77,  78 
Chevrotain,  198 
Chimpanzee,  3,  4,  u,  12 
Chinchilla,  226,  240 
Chough,  251,  262 
Chub, 358 

Chuck- Will's-widow,  288 
Civet,  79 

Classical  dolphin,  160 
Clouded  tiger,  70 
Coach-dog,  95,  98 
Coati,  145 

Cobra,  340,  342 — 346 
Cock  of  the  rock,  282 
Cockatoo,  290 
Cod,  357 
Colugo,  39 
Columbae,  250 
Common  barn  owl,  314 

"       crane,  314 

"       duck,  319 

"       fin  whale,  159 


Common  frog,  350,  352,  353 
"       gull,  321 
hare,  241 
iguana,  338 
"       jay,  262 
"       kingfisher,  287 
"       lizard,  338,  339 

pheasant,  299 
"       porpoise,  160,  161 
"       rabbit,  241,  245 
"       rhea,  329 
"       seal,  155 
"       skate,  368 
"       starling,  278 

swan,  320 
"       thrush,  251 
"       toad,  351 
"       wren,  256,  257 

Condor,  304,  308 

Coney,  226 

Conger  eel,  362 

Coot,  314 

Coral  snake,  349 

Cormorant,  316,  323 

Corvidtz,  262 

Cotingida,  282 

Couguar,  43,  67 

Cow,  207,  210 

Crake,  314 

Cramp-fish,  366 

Crane,  314 

Crocodile,  14,  334 

Crossbill,  277 

Crow,  262 

Cuckoo,  284 — 286 

Curlew,  314 

Cynalurus,  77 

Cynocephalus,  19 

D. 

Dalmatian,  95,  98,  130 


378 


INDEX. 


Datna  vttlgaris,  204 
Darwin's  rhea,  329 
Dasyure,  247 
Deer,  27,  198 — 205 
Ddphinus  Delphis,  160 
Desman,  228 
Dhole,  93,  94 
Diable-de-mer,  369 
Diana  monkey,  19 
Dingo,  93,  94 
Dog,  43,  84,  94—139 
Dolphin,  158,  159,  160 
Domestic  fowl,  297,  302 — 304 

"        turkey,  300 — 302 
Dormouse,  227,  233 
Douroucouli,  32 
Dove,  250 

Dove-cot  pigeon,  294 
Drill,  20 

Dromedary,  192,  193,  194 
Duck,  316,  319 
Duck-billed  platypus,  249 
Dugong,  162 
Duplicidentati,  226,  241 

El. 

Eagle,  304,  305—307 

"       ray,  368 
Eared  seal,  152 
Eastern  bison,  212 
Echidnidtz,  249 
Edible  frog,  352 
Eel,  358,  361 
Egyptian  fox,  85 

"        hare,  241 

"        vulture,  308 
Eider  duck,  319 
Eland,  216 
Electric  eel,  362 — 366 
Elephant,  27,  219 — 226 

"         tortoise,  332 


Elk,  199,  204 
JEmballonurida,  36 
Emu,  250,  328,  329,  330 
English  bunting,  277 

"       carrier,  294 

"       frill-back,  294 

"       pouter,  294 

"      terrier,  136 
Entellus,  19 
Equine  antelope,  216 
Ermine,  140 
Esculent  swift,  289 
Eskimo  dog,  104 — 107 

P. 

Falcon,  304,  311 
Fallow  deer,  199,  204 
Fan  tail,  294 
Fawn,  321 
Feneca  zaarensis,  85 
Fennec,  85 
Fern  owl,  288 
Ferret,  140 
Fieldmouse,  227,  233 
Finch,  275 
Fish-hawk,  307 
Fissipedia,  43 
Fissirostres,  283 
Flamingo,  314 
Flounder,  357 
Flying  dog,  37 

"       fish,  358,  360 
fox,  35 

"        squirrel,  237 
Four-horned  antelope,  216 
Fowl,  250,  297 
Fox,  84,  85,  90—93,  337 
Fox  terrier,  136 
Foxhound,  95,  128,  129 
Frog,  350 


INDEX. 


379 


O. 

Galago,  33 
Gallintz,  250,  297 
Gavial,  334 
Gazelle,  217 
Gazellince,  207 
Genet,  79 
Gibbon,  3,  17,   18 
Giraffe,  205,  206 
Glutton,  140 
Gnu,  216 
Goat,  206,  217 
Goatsucker,  288 
Golden  eagle,  305 
"      howler,  31 
"      oriole,  251,  261 
"      pheasant,  299 
Golden-crested  wren,  255,  256 
Goldfinch,  251,  275 
Goose,  316 — 319 
Gorilla,  3 — n 
Goshawk,  304 
Grallatores,  250 
Grampus,  160,  161 
Great  albatross,  324 

"     ant-eater,  247 

"     auk, 316 

•'     basking  shark,  366 

"     black-backed  gull,  321,  323 

"     eagle  owl,  313,  314 

"     shrike,  262 

"     titmouse,  261 
Great-billed  rhea,  329 
Great-crowned  pigeon,  294 
Grebe,  316 
Green  monkey,  19 

"      parrot,  290 

"      turtle,  333 

"      woodpecker,  284 
Greenfinch,  275 
Grey  fox,  86 


Grey  parrot   290,  292 

"    seal,  155 

Greyhound,  95,  123—124,  177 
Griffin  vulture,  307 
Grivet,  19 

Grizzly  bear,  146,  149 — 151 
Ground  parrot,  290 
Grouse,  297 
Guinea  fowl,  297 
Guinea-pig,  226,  241 
Gull,  316,  321 
Guto  luscus,  140 
Gurnard,  354 
Gymnotus,  358,  362 — 365 

H. 

Haddock,  357 

Halibut,  357 

Halicore  dugong,  162 

Hammer-headed  shark,  336 

Hamster,  228 

Hapale,  32 

Hare,  226,  241—244 

Harnessed  antelope,  216 

Harp  seal,  155,  156 

Harrier,  95,  129 

Harvest  mouse,  227,  233 

Hatteria  punctate,  337 

Hawk,  73 

Hawk's  bill  turtle,  333 

Hedge-sparrow,  285 

Hedgehog,  39 

Hen,  176 

Heron,  312,  314,  315 

Herring,  358,  360 

"        gull,  321,  323 
Hinny,  183 

Hippopotamus,  162,  188—190 
Hippotragina,  207 
Hoazin,  250,  304 
Hog,  27,  28,   190,  191 


INDEX. 


Homelyn  ray,  368 

Honey  bear,  146 

Hook-billed  ground  pigeon,  294 

Hoolock,  17,  18 

Hornbill,  287 

Horse,  162 — 178 

Horseshoe  bat,  36 

House  martin,  274 

House  mouse,  227,  232 

Howling  monkey,  31 

Humming  bird,  289 

Humpback  whale,  159 

Hunting  leopard,  77,  78 

"        tiger,  201 
Hyaena,  43,  80 — 84 
Hyaenidae,  80 
Hylobates,  17 
Hyrax,  226 


Ibex,  218 

Ichneumon,  79,  80 

Iguana,  338 

Imperial  eagle,  305 

Indian  buffalo,  213 
"      frillback,  294 
"      monkey,  25 — 29 
"      rhinoceros,  184 
"      tapir,  184 

Indri,  33 

Insectivora,  39 

Irish  hare,  241 

Ivory  gull,  321 

Ivory-billed  woodpecker,  284 

Izard,  216 

J. 

Jack,  359 

Jack  screamer,  289 
Jackal,  27,  28,  84,  86 
Jackass  penguin,  326 


Jackdaw,  251,  272 
Jacobin,  294 
Jaguar,  43,  64—67 
Jay,  251,  262 
Jerboa,  226,  234 
Jungle  fowl,  297 

E. 

Kahan,  19 
Kangaroo,  247,  248 
Keitloa,  184 
Kestrel,  304 
King  bird,  251,  282 
King  Charles  spaniel,  120,  134,  13$ 

"     duck,  319 

"    of  the  vultures,  308 

"     penguin,  326 
Kingfisher,  287 
Kinkajou,  145 
Kit  fox,  86 
Kite,  304,  311 
Kobaoba,  184 


Labrador  dog,  107 
Land  bear,  146 
Lapwing,  314 
Lark,  251,  258,  279 — 281 
Laugher,  294 
Laughing  kingfisher,  287 
Leathery  turtle,  334 
Leech,  355 
Lemming,  227,  228 
Lemur,  3,  32,  33 
Lemuridce,  32,  33 
Leopard,  43,  61 — 64 
Lesser  fin  whale,  159 
Leucocyon  lagopus,  86 
Leucoryx,  216 
Linnet,  251,  276 
Lion,  43,  44— 57 


INDEX. 


Little  ant-eater,  247 
Lizard,  337 
Llama,  198 

"      pacos,  198 
"     peruana,  198 
"      vicugna,  198 
Loggeshead  turtle,  334 
Long-eared  owl,  313 
Long-nosed  dolphin,  160 
"          monkey,  19 
Long-tailed  duck,  319 

manis,  246 
"  sheep,  217 
"  titmouse,  261 

Love  bird,  290 
Lurcher,  124 
Lutra  vulgaris,  141 
Lynx,  44,  76,  77 
Lyre  bird,  250,  251,  283 

M. 

Macacus,  25 
Macagne,  25 
Macaw,  290 
Mackerel,  354,  356 
Magot,  25 

Magpie,  251,  262,  264 — 266 
Mahoohoo,  184 
Malayan  bear,  146,  151 
Malbrouck  monkey,  19 
Mallard,  319 
Maltese  spaniel,  134,  135 
Manakin,  251 
Manatidce,  162 
Mandarin,  319 
Mandrill,  20 
Manis,  246 
Manx  Cat,  71 
Marmoset,  3,  32 
Marmot,  237,  240 
Marsh  Harrier,  311 


Martin,  251,  274,  275 
Mastiff,  95,  109,  136 — 138 
Meadow  pipit,  282 
Megaderma  lyra,  36,  38 
Meles  taxus,  142 
Mcllivora  cafensis,  143 
Merino,  217 
Mias,  3,  13,  14 
Midas,  32 
Missel  thrush,  252 
Mississippi  alligator,  335 
Mocking  bird,  250,  254 
Mole,  39 — 42 
Mona,  19 
Monitor,  337,  339 
Monkey,  3,  15,  18 — 32 
Monodon  monoceros,  160 
Monotremata,  249 
Moor  hen,  314 
Moose,  199,  204,  227 
Mother  Carey's  chicken,  322 
Mountain  hare,  241 
Mouse,  226,  227,  232,  233 
Mouse  deer,  198 
Muchocho,  184 
Mule,  183 
Mullet,  354 
Muscovy  duck,  319 
Musk  rat,  227 

"     sheep,  or  ox,  217 
Mustelida,  140 
Mycetes,  31 

N. 

Narwhal,  160 
Nasua  narica,  145 
Nemorhedince,  207 
Newfoundland  dog,  95,  97,  98,  :oi, 

107—114,  i?7 
Newt,  350 
Nicobar  pigeon,  294 
Night-jar,  288 


382 


INDEX. 


Nightingale,  250,  258,  259 
Nile  monitor,  339 
Nine-killer,  262 
Northern  sea  bear,  152,  154 

"     lion,  152 
Numidian  crane.  314 
Nun,  294 
Nycteridte,  36 
Nycticebus  tardigradus,  33 
Nyctipitkecus  felinus,  32 
Nylghan,  216 

O. 

Ocelot,  69 
Opisthocomi,  250 
Opossum,  247 
Orang-utan,  3,  12 — 17 
Orca  gladiator,  161 
Organist  tanager,  273 
Ornithorhynchidiz,  249 
Orygina,  207 
Osprey,  311 
Ostrich,  250,  328,  329 
Otaridce,  152 
Otter,  140,  141,   142 
Ounce,  43,  201 
Oven  bird,  283 
Owl,  304,  313 
Ox,  162,  206,  207,  209 

P. 

Pallah,  216 
Panda,  145 
Pangolin,  245,  246 
Panther,  43,  61 — 64,  67 
Paradisea  apoda,  271 — 273 
Paradoxure,  79 
Parrakeet,  290 
Parrot,  250,  290-294 
Partridge,  299 
Passenger  pigeon,  294 


Passeres,  250 
Patas,  19 
Pea-fowl,  298 
Peacock,  297,  298 

"        pheasant,  298 
Peahen,  298 
Peccary,  190,  192 
Pelican,  316,  325 
Penguin,  316,  326 
Perch,  354 

Peregrine  falcon,  311 
Perissodactyla,  162 
Persian  cat,  71 
Persian  lynx,  44 
Petrel,  316 
Pheasant,  297,  298 
Philander,  247 
Phyllostomida,  36 
Picaritz,  250 
Pied  wagtail,  281 
Pig,  190 

Pigeon,  294 — 297 
Pike,  358,  359 
Pine  marten,  140 
Pinnipedia,  43,  151 
Pipistrelle,  36 
Pipit,  251.  281 
Pithecia,  31 
Plaice,  357 
Plantcutter,  283 
Platypus,  249 
Plecotus  auritus,  36 
Plover,  314 
Pointer,  95,  130 — 132 
Polar  bear,  146,  157 

"     hare,  241 
Polecat,  140 
Poodle,  101,  139 
Porcupine,  226,  240,  241 
Porpoise,  161 
Pouched  rat,  227,  228 


383 


Prairie  dog,  237,  240 

grouse,  297 
Procyonidas,  145 
Prong-horned  antelope,  216 
Protelidce,  80 
Pseudophidia,  350 
Psittacini,  250 
Ptarmigan,  297 
Puffin,  316,  323,  327 
Puma,  43,  67 — 69 
Python,  14 

Q- 

Quagga,  183 
Quail,  297 

R. 

Rabbit,  226,  241,  245 
Raccoon,  145 
Rana  temporaria,  352 
Rat,  226,  227 — 232,  303 

"     kangaroo,  246 
Ratel,  143 

Rattlesnake,  340,  341,  342 
Raven,  251,  264,  266 — 269 
Ray,  365,  368—373 
Red  deer,  199,  201 
Red  fox,  86 

"    grouse,  297 
Red-backed  shrike,  262 
Red-headed  woodpecker,  284 
Reindeer,  199,  201 — 204 
Resplendent  trogon,  287 
Rhea,  328,  329 
Rhesus  monkey,  25 
Rhinoceros,  162,  184 — 188 

"  bird,  190 

Rhinodon  Typicus,  366 
Right  whale,  158 
Ringed  seal,  155 
Roach,  358 
Robin,  250,  259,  260 
Rock  manakin,  282 


Rodents,  226 
Roebuck,  199,  204 
Rook,  251,  270 
Runt,  294 
Rupicaprina ,  207 
Rupicola  elegans,  282 


Sable,  140 

Sacred  monkey,  18 

Sage  hare,  241 

St.  Bernard  dog,  119 — 122 

Salamander,  350 

Salmon,  358 

Sand  lizard,  338 

Sandmartin,  275 

Sandpiper,  314 

Sandy  ray,  368 

Sardine,  358 

Sardinian  hare,  241 

Scansores,  283 

Scarlet  tanager,  273 

Scotch  greyhound,  123 

"      terrier,  136 
Scrub  bird,  250,  251,  283 
Sea  bear,  145 

"    canary,  160 

"    cow,  162 

"    devil,  368 — 373 

"    elephant,  155,  156 

"    leopard,  155 

"    lion,  43,  152 

"    pig,  160 
Sea-gull,  321 
Seal,  43,  151—158 
Secretary  bird,  310 
Semnopithecus,  18,  19 
Serval,  44,  70 
Setter,  95,  132—134 
Shark,  366—368 
Sheep,  162,  206,  217 — 219 


384 


Sheldrake,  319 

Shepherd's  dog,  95,  99,  114-119 

Short-faced  tumbler,  294 

Short-tailed  manis,  246 

Shrew,  39,  42,  43 

Shrike,  262,  282 

Sianiang,  3,  17,  18 

Siberian  dog,  107 

Silver  fox,  86 

Simla,  12 

Simplicidentati,  226 

Skate,  368 

Skunk,  143 — 145 

Skye  terrier,  136 

Sky-lark,  258,  279 — 281 

Sleuth-hound,  125 

Sloth,  245 

Sloth  bear,  151 

Slow  lemur,  33 

Snakes,  339 — 349 

Snipe,  314 

Snow  bunting,  277 

Sociable  weaver-bird,  278 

Sole,  357 

Sorex  vulgaris,  42 

Spaniel,  95,  98,  101,  134 — 136 

Sparrow-hawk,  302,  304,  312 

Spectacled  bear,  151 

Sperm  whale,  159 

Sphinx,  20 

Spider  monkey,  30 

Spot,  294 

Spotted  eagle,  305 

Spotted  hyaena,  82,  83 

Squirrel,  226,  237 — 239 

Stag,  199 — 201 

Staghound,  127 

Starling,  250,  251,  278 

Stickleback,  354 — 356 

Sting  ray,  368 

Stoat,  140 


Stork,  314,  315,  316 
Stormy  petrel,  322,  323 
Striped  hyaena,  82 
Slruthiones,  250 
Sturmidcz,  278 

Sulphur-crested  cockatoo,  290 
Swallow,  251,  273,  274 
"         [pigeon],  294 
Swan,  316,  319 — 321 
Swift,  289 

Sword-fish,  354,  356 
Syrian  bear,  151 

T. 

Tadpole,  350 
Tahaleb,  85 
Tailor  bird,  250,  255 
Tanager,  250,  273 
Talapoin,  19 
TalpidcB,  40 
Tapir,  183 
Tapiridee,  183 
TarsidcB,  33 
Tarsier,  33 
Tarsius  spectrum,  33 
Teal,  316,  319 
Terrier,  95,  96,  136 
Thick-headed  shrike,  262 
Thistlefinch,  275 
Thornback,  368 
Thrush,  250,  251,  286 
Tiger,  43,  57—61 
Tiger-cat,  43 
Titmouse,  250,  260 
Toad,  350 — 352 
Tomtit,  261 
Tope,  365 
Torpedo,  365 
Tortoise,  331 
Tragelaphince,  207 
Tragulus,  198 


INDEX. 


385 


Tragulus  meminna,  198 

Tree  frog,  350,  353 
"    kangaroo,  248 
"    pipit,  282 
"    porcupine,  241 

Trichechus  rosmarus,  154 

Troglodytes,  4 

Trogon,  287 

Trout,  358 

Trumpeter,  294 

Turbot,  357 

Turkey,  300 — 302 

Turnspit,  130 

Turtle,  65,  331,  333 

Tyrannidtz,  282 

Tyrant  fly-catcher,  282 
"       shrike,  282 

U. 

Umbrella  bird,  251,  283 
Unicorn,  185 
Urodela,  350 
Ursus  americanus,  147 
"      arc  tos,  151 


Vampire  bat,  36 — 39 
Vervet  monkey,  19 
Vesper  tilionida,  36,  38 
Viper,  340 
Viscacha,  240 
Viverridce,  79 
Vulpes  vulgaris,  85 
Vulture,  304,  307 — 310 

W. 

Wagtail,  253,  281 
Wallachian  sheep,  217 
Walrus,  43,  151,  154 


Wanderoo,  25 
Water  rat,  227 
Water  shrew,  42 
Water  spaniel,  134,  135 
Water-pheasant,  314 
Weasel,  43,  140 
Weaver  bird,  251,  278 
Weeper  capuchin,  30 
Whale,  158,  159 
Whip-poor-Will,  288 
White  shark,  367 
White  whale,  160 
White-headed  sea  eagle,  305,  306 
White-nosed  monkey,  19 
White-throated  capuchin,  30 
Whooping  swan,  320 
Widgeon,  319 
Wild  boar,  190 

"     cat,  70,  71 

"     dog,  93 

"    goose,  317 

"     turkey,  297,  300 
Wild-duck,  319 
Wildebeest,  216 
Willow  wren,  256 
Wolf,  43,  84,  85,  86—90 
Wombat,  247 
Woodchuck,  240 
Woodcock,  314 
Woodpecker.  282,  284 
"  Wool  man,"  248 
Wren,  250,  255 — 258 
Wryneck,  284 


Y. 


Yak,  216 


Zebra,  183 
Zebu,  216 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  035  698     0 


